Fernhurst lamb is rescued after falling down 10ft embankment

The fire service’s Technical Rescue Unit was called to the farm in Fernhurst at 8.38am on Saturday.

Mick Lewin, Watch Manager of the TRU, said: “The shepherd did the right thing to call for assistance in rescuing this lamb, which was at the bottom of a 10ft high embankment and trapped in some netting near some water.

“Carrying out a rescue from height when there is water involved can be especially dangerous, and so the last thing we would want is for someone to get into difficulty themselves trying to carry out a rescue.

“This lamb had somehow strayed away from the rest of the flock, lost its footing and ended up at the bottom of the embankment below and was unable to make its way back up the steep slope after getting tangled in some netting.

“We were able to lower ourselves down the embankment and free the lamb from the netting, and gently hoist him back up the bank to safety.

“This particular breed of lamb, a Herdwick, is usually found in the Lake District, so perhaps he got a bit carried away thinking he was on stronger footing than he was.

“Either way, it was a steep learning curve for him to keep all four hooves firmly on the ground.

“Thankfully there was no lasting damage, and he was reunited with the rest of the flock, none the worse for wear.”