Swimming cow saved Crew members at Douglas lifeboat station, Isle of Man, have received a certificate of commendation from the RSPCA following their rescue of a cow, which had got stuck in a rocky cove at the bottom of a cliff.

The farmer had been unable to move the cow, called Heide, and the rising tide had left her up to her knees in water and close to panic. The lifeboat crew realised that the Tyne class lifeboat Sir William Hillary could cause Heide to bolt if they came too close, so the second coxswain Neil Corran and crew member P Cowin launched the inflatable X boat and rowed to the shore to offer assistance.

As the tide was still rising, they decided to try to move her to the nearest beach, 1V2 miles away at Port Soderick. They brought the farmer into the X boat and he managed to slip a lasso around Heide.

The crew was worried that the noise of the Tyne engines would frighten her so they first tried to tow her by rowing the X boat, but didn't make much progress. Then they came up with the idea of towing the X boat with the Sir William Hillary, with Heide attached to the X boat.

This was far more successful and they soon reached Port Soderick beach with Heide swimming along behind. Once she got her feet on dry land she was able to walk away, tired but unharmed..