Pregnant cow falls 40 feet and then swims to safety

London: A pregnant cow had a miraculous escape after falling down a 40ft cliff in the UK. After the fall, the rare White Park cow then swam to an "isolated island".

The cow was winched back up to the top of the cliff yesterday evening after a nine-hour effort, the BBC reported today. The cow spent a night down on the rocks before being sedated at The Rumps, near Polzeath, Cornwall. "Despite her ordeal she is now back happily grazing in the field," Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said.

The rescue began on Saturday afternoon but was stopped due to the rising tide and fading light, and began again yesterday morning. "The incident was made extremely difficult as the cow swam to an isolated island where she was out of reach of the emergency services," Wadebridge Community Fire Station said.

A vet and rifleman sedated the cow, before she was put into an animal rescue harness and brought back to the top of the cliff. Specialist animal rescue crews were assisted by the Coastguard. The cow was left in the care of a vet and the farmer, the fire service said.