Tenby Inshore lifeboat launched after cow goes over cliff on Caldey Island

The lifeboat was soon on the water and made best speed to Caldey. Once there, after a brief search, they spotted the farmer in the field above a small cove to the West of Drinkum bay.

After a brief discussion, and as the cove where the cow was situated was inaccessible from land, it was decided to bring the farmer and a member of Caldey Coastguard Team around to the cove to assess the cow and attempt to bring it around to the beach.

Once the necessary manpower (including a member of the lifeboat crew) was ashore at the cove, they managed to get the very weak cow to eat some food, before leading it down to the water. From here, the cow was made fast to the side of the lifeboat and towed the short distance around to the beach at Drinkum where it made it ashore and into the company of a very relieved and thankful farmer and his staff.

The lifeboat then returned to station, rehousing at 1.20pm.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.