Which way is my field? The bullock paddled up to half a mile for 45 minutes into the deep waters - past stunned surfers who could not believe their eyesThis is the amazing moment a cow swam alongside a group of bemused surfers in Devon - after falling 15ft into the sea.
The adventurous Limousin bullock was grazing in his field when he became spooked by the noise from a nearby music festival.
Farmer Paul Dymond, 35, decided to move the frightened bullock to another field but he managed to escape and ran over the edge of a cliff.
The bullock survived the 15ft fall onto rocks and scrambled towards the sea - where he began swimming out into the Atlantic.
He paddled up to half a mile for 45 minutes into the deep waters - past stunned surfers who could not believe their eyes.
Mr Dymond, who lives at Orchard Way farm in Croyde, Devon, then helped lifeguards to coax the beast out of the water.
Forgot my wetsuit! The cow in the surf stunned surfers as he made his way into the water after falling 15ft into the seaHe said: 'He escaped onto Baggy Point - which is the coastal road - and I was following him trying to get him back in before I saw him getting closer and closer to cliffs. Then he just sort of dropped off the edge.
'I rushed over and could see he was alright but had fallen into the sea. I just could not believe he had not broken his legs - it was a good 15ft drop onto the rocks.
'He seemed to be swimming along with the surfers, I'm not sure they were too impressed.
'There were hundreds of people gathered on the beach for the festival as well and everyone was taking pictures and pointing.'
After 45 minutes the coastguard and RNLI were called and managed to coax the beast back to shore in front of bemused revellers at the Goldcoast Oceanfest.
Taxi for one: After 45 minutes the coastguard and RNLI were called and managed to coax the beast back to shoreMr Dymond reckons the animal was startled by noise from the event, takes place once a year and was headlined by Seasick Steve and the King Blues.
He added: 'The whole herd was a bit unsettled because of the music from the festival but none of the others seemed to react in the same way.
'The festival takes place every year, but I think the wind direction meant the music seemed louder this year.' The bull was swimming for about 45 minutes and became so disorientated he went deeper and deeper until one onlooker said he must have been 'about half a mile' out.
Drying out: The cow is now recovering from its wet and wild ordeal in the cow shed
Vaughan Lawson, RNLI area lifeguard manager for North Devon, said: 'The incident was certainly unusual but we have to be prepared for any eventuality.
'For this type of rescue there is no protocol and so we just had to do the best we could for the animal's safety.
'We had lifeguards on jet skis to warn surfers of animal and after about 45 minutes we had got the bullock back into the shallow water.
'The farmer was able to put a halter on his head and got him into the front bucket of the tractor.'
source: dailymail
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