The volunteer lifeboat crew at Fethard, Co. Wexford were tasked with the rescue of a sheep that was stranded at the bottom of a cliff surrounded by a rising tide.
Fethard RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) were requested by the Irish Coast Guard on Tuesday, May 7 to go to an area approximately one nautical mile north of Duncannon, to assess the welfare of a sheep who had fallen from a ledge and was being surrounded by a rising tide.
The sheep was spotted by a passer-by on a boat, and the sheep appeared to not be injured.
The weather was fine at the time with a light southerly breeze in the area known as the Waterford Estuary.
The lifeboat, helmed by Mick Roche and with crew members Natasha Blanchfield, Eoin Bird and Diarmuid Bird onboard, launched at Duncannon and proceeded to the area, known locally as Lady’s Bay, where they observed the animal in difficulty.
Crew member Diarmuid Bird entered the water, collected the sheep, and brought it to the nearby pebble beach to safety.
Bird told Agriland that the sheep would have been in “big trouble” if she was stranded during high water.
Bird, who is a farmer from Fethard, was perfectly suited for the job as he brought the sheep from the beach to the lifeboat.
Fethard RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer Mark Brennan told Agriland that owing to Bird’s experience as a farmer, he was the “right man at the right time” for the rescue.
Speaking after the launch, Fethard RNLI Helm Mick Roche said: “[The rescue] highlights the importance of taking care and be wary of all edges around the sea and waterside.
“Slips and falls happen in all kinds of locations, not just high cliff edges. We would remind animal owners to never get themselves in danger trying to rescue a family pet or animal from the water.
“If you are worried about animal’s safety, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard,” Roche added.
Lifeboat rescuing livestock in Wexford
The Fethard RNLI crew are no strangers to such rescues, as they were previously involved in a callout involving livestock in February 2017, when they came to the aid of two bulls that had fallen from cliffs in the Broomhill area on the Hook Peninsula.
Fethard RNLI was already out on the morning when the call for assistance came in to the lifeboat station.
The crew were about to go on exercise with the Kilmore Quay RNLI when the lifeboat was tasked to the Broomhill area at Waterford harbour to a report of two bulls that had fallen from a cliff.
Fethard lifeboat was launched from Duncannon and was on scene at Broomhill, when the lifeboat crew assessed each animal and decided to attempt a rescue as one was stranded in the gully with the incoming tide.
The second animal was 10 feet above the water on rocks further north and was relatively safe at that time.
The helm veered the lifeboat down into the gully and crew member Eoin Bird entered the water with a rope, swimming 50 yards in dangerous and difficult conditions to reach the stranded animal that had fallen approximately 15m.
Bird made a halter and placed it around the animal, before then swimming back to the lifeboat which then towed the animal clear of the rocks.
The animal was brought alongside the lifeboat and one of the crew held its head safely above water for the 1.5km journey to Templetown bay, where it was safely landed ashore to be taken into the care of the owner.
The volunteer lifeboat crew then returned to the scene where a halter and rope had already been placed on the second animal ready to recover it.
Fethard lifeboat then towed the animal off the rocks and brought it ashore to the waiting owner.
Commenting on the callout, Hugh Burke of the Fethard RNLI said: “This was a rescue with a difference for our volunteers but we do train for every type of scenario.
“Nobody wants to see animals in distress or difficulty and we are happy to launch to bring them to safety. Conditions on the day were fairly lively with a two metre swell.
“The rescue involved excellent boat handling by our lifeboat Helm John Colfer and great work by Eoin and Finola to bring the two animals to safety.
“It was one we won’t forget in a hurry,” Burke added.
The crew on the day were lifeboat helm John Colfer and crew members Eoin Bird and Finola Foley, aided by shore crew Thomas Nolan and Tim Bradley.