Llama rescue drama in West Sussex
'Skippy' saved by firefighters after he got up to his neck in trouble!
Last updated 31st Dec 2021
A llama that fell into an underground reservoir, after escaping from its enclosure after dark, has been lifted to safety.
Water rescue-trained firefighters from Bognor Regis and West Sussex Fire & Rescue service’s Technical Rescue Unit were mobilised shortly after 5pm on Tuesday evening (28 Dec) to rescue the llama named 'Skippy' when he ended up in almost two metres of water.
Skippy's owner quickly dialled 999 after realising he'd got out of his enclosure and had fallen through the roof of a nearby underground reservoir off Adsdean Park Road near Funtington.
West Sussex crews, supported by a Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service crew, worked with a local vet who oversaw the rescue.
They used a short extension ladder to reach the point in the reservoir’s roof where Skippy had fallen through, and very carefully began removing some of the surrounding roofing to allow more space to carry out the rescue.
TRU Watch Manager Mick Lewin was at the incident and said:
“This was quite a challenging rescue to carry out, as not only did we have an animal that was quite distressed, but also in a dark, enclosed space under several feet of water."
“Our main priority was to try and calm Skippy down and prevent him from causing any injury to himself or to our teams while trying to rescue him. Once we had stabilised him in the water we were able to lift him back on to dry land where he was given a through check-over by the vet."
“Skippy’s owner did the right thing in calling for help rather than trying to carry out the rescue themselves, which could have led to them ending up in danger themselves."
“Fortunately Skippy has made a full recovery after his ordeal, and we hope he will be less inclined to go exploring after dark.”