Farmer’s fury as birthday balloon nearly kills calf
A FARMER had to pull a 5ft balloon out of the mouth of a choking calf as plastic pollution continues to blight Scotland’s countryside.
Robert Fleming discovered the silver birthday decoration down the throat of one of his herd in Wigtownshire on Tuesday.
After retrieving it the farmer noticed a message written on it by a Nathan Smith from Belfast, concluding: ‘Whoever gets this, share on social media.’
But Mr Fleming, who lives in the village of Glenluce, took to Twitter instead to warn of the potentially dire consequences.
He tweeted: ‘You might think it’s harmless fun but I’ve just had to pull a 5ft birthday balloon out of the mouth of a choking calf. By luck I was in the right place at the right time to ensure her safety. I just felt I need to highlight the risks.
‘The issue with these innocent stray balloons is the fact they can occasionally land in with innocent, curious animals. Much like a toddler, a cow uses its mouth to explore objects.
‘Sometimes the consequences can be fatal. Even so-called “biodegradable” can kill animals.’
It is the latest incident of plastics found littering some of Scotland’s most rural settings.
Party balloons were also discovered this week in wild areas in the Cairngorms, Sgor Dubh and Glen Derry, both in Aberdeenshire.
Wildlife and landscape photographer James Roddie discovered one large balloon at more than 3,2 0ft on the Cairngorm Plateau, home to rare birds such as the ptarmigan and dotterel.
Davie Black of Mountaineering Scotland, which represents the interests of outdoors pursuits enthusiasts, said: ‘Litter in the hills can be a problem. It’s unsightly and can affect plants and animals.’
A STUDENT paramedic has died after her ambulance collided with a BMW.
Tammy Minshall, 31, a mother to a young daughter, was airlifted from the scene of the crash on a country road but died from her injuries a short time later.
Her brother, Adam, 33, a gatehouse operator, yesterday posted a Facebook tribute vowing to look after his niece, as colleagues at West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) spoke of their grief.
Miss Minshall lived in Stretton, Burton upon Trent, five miles from the scene of the crash at Needwood, east of the Staffordshire brewing town.
Images taken at the scene on Wednesday showed the ambulance on its side before it was lifted by crane on to a flat-bed lorry. Severe damage could be seen along the driver’s side, with both nearside wheels apparently buckled and major crash damage to the rear quarter.
Two other crew members were taken to Queens Hospital in Burton, along with the driver of the BMW 3 series, who required treatment for a leg injury. Miss Minshall was a first-year student paramedic at Staffordshire University in Stoke-on-Trent, and had been on placement with WMAS at its Lichfield base since May.
In his Facebook tribute, her brother added: ‘RIP Little sis you have been taken from us far too soon. I miss you already I will never forget you and everything you have done for me .. sleep with the angels. Love you forever.’
Meanwhile, Nathan Hudson, the chief ambulance officer at WMAS, said: ‘I offer my sincere condolences to Tammy’s family and friends and my thoughts remain with them at this truly terrible time. When it is one of your own, it really hurts and we as an ambulance service are hurting now. We’re taking the time to provide support to all of our staff who have been affected and continue to offer our support to Tammy’s family.’
Ann Ewans, dean of the School of Health and Social Care at Staffordshire University, said: ‘This has come as a huge blow to our University and our thoughts are with the family and friends of Tammy, who has tragically lost her life.’ An investigation into the 5.45pm crash was continuing yesterday, with collision experts from Staffordshire Police at the scene.
The force declined to reveal whether the ambulance was operating on blue lights at the time of the collision. But WMAS confirmed that no patients were on board at the time.
Its chief executive Anthony Marsh said yesterday: ‘It is tragic that someone who showed so much promise has died doing the job that they loved.’
The paramedic was airlifted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, but died soon after being admitted. Her colleagues were both discharged from Queens Hospital following treatment.
Police appealed for anybody with dash-cam footage to get in touch.
‘When it’s one of your own, it hurts’