A local farmer asked the team to rescue one of his sheep from the rock face at Mealbank Quarry. Team members attended and set up a rope access system to lower two team members to the sheep’s location. Unfortunately, while team members tried to reassure the sheep as they approached it, the sheep attempted to escape and fell down the crag. The farmer checked the sheep and advised that it had survived the fall without apparent injury.
Animal rescues are always high risk because the animal may not understand that the team is there to help, try to get away, and end up falling. The team’s usual practice is to wait at least 24 hours to give the animal a chance to self rescue. In this case, the sheep had been stuck on the crag since the previous afternoon. Its location and pregnant condition made self rescue very unlikely. Having discussed the risks with the farmer, a joint decision was made to attempt the rescue.
Volunteer hours: 23