Firefighters rescue cow from water shaft with a crane

Firefighters rescued a cow from an empty water shaft in Roßbach near Friesach on Friday, widening the opening to reach the animal, ORF reported.

The cow had fallen several metres into the shaft on a farm. Its opening was only about one metre wide and had been covered with rotten boards.

Volunteer fire brigades from St. Veit and St. Salvator enlarged the opening with a cutting machine and a pneumatic breaker before lifting the cow out with a crane, said Werner Ebenwalder, deputy commander of the St. Salvator brigade. The Friesach municipal works yard also assisted, while a vet sedated the animal during the rescue.

The cow appeared to have escaped injury.