Volunteers rescue ram from rising flood waters
According to Marguerite O’Connor, chairperson of Blackwater Animal Rescue, a call came in from a mother and daughter from Kilworth who were driving out of Fermoy at about 9am that morning.
The daughter, Edel, spotted the ram on a small sod of ground near a tree in the field which led to a report going in to Blackwater Animal Rescue.
“We encourage that call that members of the public can make, as it could save an animal’s life. It was too dangerous to go in so we notified the farmer who had removed the rest of the flock a few days prior, but he didn’t realise that the ram had been left behind,” Marguerite said.
The ram had been completely cut off from access to dry land by the rising floodwaters and it was only a matter of time before the small area it was standing on would also have become submerged.
Blackwater Sub Aqua Search and Rescue were then called upon for their assistance in retrieving and rescuing the animal from the rising waters. The value of the club locally was obvious once again with their help crucial, however the club is now facing a crisis of their own as their funds are badly depleted - they are now planning to bolster the club coffers with a swim challenge when lockdown restrictions allow.
“They came in a matter of 15 minutes with all their gear, got into their wetsuits and waded in. It was a big enough ram but they got him and picked him up and physically lifted him out,” Marguerite said.
Members of the Blackwater Sub Aqua Search and Rescue team, Noel Hayes, Dave Carey and Mike Reidy attended the scene.
According to Mike Reidy, the water was knee-high in places and about two to three foot high in the area surrounding the small section of the bank where the ram stood.
“The danger was that we were on the bank and less than a metre from the Araglin river and it was in flood and fast-moving. If the animal had jumped out into the river that would have been the end of it.
“We had a bit of difficulty getting to the ram, but once we had the Shepard’s hook we were able to catch him. It was a nice rescue though, something good came out of it,” Mike said.
Noel Hayes, Area Coordinator SAR South, said that it took a good half an hour or so in the water to rescue the animal.
“The Araglin river was in full flood and the water was up to our waists in parts. But we train for this kind of event and were well prepared. Knowing the area, we were careful and avoided the deeper sections of water.
“Our main aim was that we weren’t going to put the animal or ourselves into any more danger. If the animal moved and got out into the river, he would have been swept away,” he told The Avondhu.
TREMENDOUS WORK
For the Blackwater Sub Aqua Club, this wasn’t their first animal rescue as Mike noted that the clubhouse in Fermoy holds a lot of photos of animals rescued by members of the club.
“We’ve been active in search and rescue for 40 years now so we’ve carried out single animal rescues many times as well as flock and multiple animal rescues the whole way along the River Blackwater. In these strange and difficult times, it’s great to have such a positive outcome and it has given our spirits a lift,” Noel added.
Marguerite commended the Blackwater Sub Aqua Search and Rescue for their efforts on the day, noting their quick response and call to action.
“They do tremendous work and we’re so grateful for what they did, they gave up their time to come out an help. It was nice to see that they were so happy to help,” Marguerite said.