Coverack cow’s unplanned pool dip calls out St Keverne crew

Of all the call-outs a rural fire crew might expect in the small hours of a November night, a cow in a swimming pool is probably not near the top of the list.

But that is exactly what firefighters from St Keverne found this week, after a 600kg cow wandered into a garden in Coverack and stepped onto a swimming pool cover. It gave way beneath her, and she ended up in deep water.

Called out in the early hours

The crew were called out in the early hours of Wednesday (11 November).

Pictures shared by Cornwall Council show her standing in the green water with a rope looped around her neck, only her back and head clear of the surface.

📷Firefighters from St Keverne help the cow out of the pool. Credit: Cornwall Council

Lowering the water

Rather than trying to haul her straight out, firefighters carefully lowered the water level in the pool first. With the water down, they were able to lead her out to safety.

One photo from the scene shows the cow sitting on a tarpaulin laid over the edge of the pool, with crew members standing by.

📷Back on dry land. Credit: Cornwall Council

Back with her farmer

She was soon back on dry land and in the care of her farmer.

Cornwall Council, which described the job as “an udderly unexpected call-out”, said it hoped she has no plans for another dip any time soon.

📷The cow in the swimming pool in Coverack. Credit: Cornwall Council