Community groups save fallen cow

June 11--MASONTOWN -- Firefighters, animal control officers, farmers and a towing company rallied Thursday evening to recover a cow that fell 400 feet down a hill.

Cheat Lake, Kingwood, Masontown and Newburg volunteer fire departments; along with Preston County Animal Control Officers; farmers; KAMP Ambulance; and Doug Snyder, Jim Funk, Terry Parker and Tena Snyder of Snyder Towing worked about seven hours to bring the cow back up the hill.

"It was a huge group effort," Preston County Animal Control Officer Brittaney Shearer said. "They did a great job."

The cow, who had a calf at the top of the hill before falling, was alive when brought up the hill and was recovering Friday afternoon. The calf was stillborn, Shearer said.

Masontown Fire Chief Dan Luzier said the 900-pound cow fell into the Cheat River Canyon. It was near Cale Road, close to Mon County.

Firefighters used chainsaws to clear trees, then rigged ropes down to the cow, a 2-year-old Hereford, named "Bessie" by those on scene

Snyder provided a hood from a Chevrolet truck. Holes were drilled in the hood to attach ropes, and the cow was held down on it with ratchet straps.

Acting on the advice of a veterinarian, Shearer administered drugs to sedate and calm her.

Farmers used their tractors to help pull out the cow, Luzier said.

"Masontown does a lot of vertical rescues, but this was different," he said. "We had to go around trees and across a creek."

The cow was over the hill about 36 hours before she was brought up, Shearer said.

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