Lamb feeling sheepish after fall down drain in Durham
The rescue involving firefighter, the RSPCA and the farmer's friend with a digger took four hours
A four hour rescue mission’s had to be carried out, to help a lamb which had fallen down a drain in a field at Thornley Road in Durham on Sunday (3rd March).
After the farmer and friends were unable to rescue the animal, firefighters called in the RSPCA to help and animal collection officer Emily Welch was dispatched, she said, “There was a broken manhole cover on the farmland which had been filled with tyres and wood. Somehow, the lamb had managed to get himself between this and has fallen down the manhole shaft and into the narrow drainage pipe 2 feet below.
“The farmer noticed the lamb’s mum stood at the top of the hole looking lost and he couldn’t spot her baby. When he went to investigate he heard the little lamb bleating from down the drain and contacted County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service.
“There was no way of reaching the little lamb in the pipe as it was too narrow so we had to dig down to him.
“Thankfully the farmer’s friend brought his digger and we started digging. We ended up having to dig four separate holes to different sections of the pipe before we could locate him 15m into the pipe and free him.
“He was very cold, a little shaken and quite stiff after his ordeal but, thankfully, he wasn’t injured so we cleaned him up and returned him to his mum who had been waiting nearby and keeping a very close eye on us!
“It was lovely to see him bounding off towards his mum and snuggling up to her for some milk. What a rescue mission!”
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