Storm Arwen: Firefighters provide for thirsty Sheffield cows
It was an udderly different call-out, after the herd had no moooo-re water
Firefighters in South Yorkshire have had an UDDERLY different call-out, thanks to Storm Arwen.
The water supply to Our Cow Molly was cut off by the extreme weather for two days, so firefighters stepped in.
Yorkshire Water say the S6 postcode area experienced a power cut, which impacted water supplies for customers.
With assistance from local MP Olivia Blake, firefighters organised to serve the farm with water.
Eddie Andrew, from the farm, told Hits Radio South Yorkshire: "It was absolutely brilliant, the cows were a bit hesitant at first, because they've got this massive great big fire hose trying to fill this trough up, with water splashing everywhere.
"They put 1,800 litres in this massive trough, and about 20 cows surrounded it and drunk the whole lot. I think the fire service were genuinely surprised just how much water they needed. It's not so bad for us, because we can get some bottled water or drink milk while we wait for the water supply to come back on, but for the animals it is critical."
Eddie told Hits Radio South Yorkshire they made sure the firefighters knew the cows were thankful: "The team that came up took a massive bag full of ice cream back to the fire station, so I kind of think that's a 'thank you' from the cows, because all the ice cream is produced from the milk from the cows.
"They didn't leave empty-handed, they brought us a load of water and got a load of ice cream in return, so that seems like a pretty fair deal!"
A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: “Storm Arwen caused significant issues across Yorkshire and the wider UK, including a power cut in the S6 area, which impacted water supplies for some customers, including Cliffe House Farm, as pumps are required in some areas to get water to customers’ properties.
“The adverse weather meant restoring supplies to the farm took a little longer than we would have liked, as our teams were prioritising vulnerable customers, including a local care home.
“Our teams worked day and night throughout the weekend, alongside emergency services, other utilities and local authorities, to minimise disruption. We are continuing to deal with the aftermath of the storm and are working hard to keep the water flowing to our customers’ properties.”