Tales of local life

TO THE RESCUE

I live in Lewes, East Sussex. It's just been hit by a major flood (the River Ouse, which runs right through the heart of the Town, burst its banks big time).

Just where I live on the northern edge of the town is quite rural. The river runs through this part too.

Yesterday morning (about 11:00) my better half told me to come and have a look at just how bad the flooding was.

Now I certainly witnessed the flooding, but what I also witnessed was a farmer, his lady wife, and their two dogs doing their damnedest to rescue as many of their cattle as they could - the animals had been cut off by what could only be described as a huge 'flash-flood'.

Indeed, as I watched, the water level rose so fast that soon these cattle were stranded on one of the higher banks in the middle of the river.

It wasn't long before the herd was left 'swimming' against the fast racing current (we expected flooding, but nothing like on this scale). The farmer and his wife (both clutching their dogs) were left holding on for their lives to a pile of old masonry (from a derelict building) on what was the bank of the river, and which was now several hundred yards away from the newly formed flooded river bank.

Some more farmers arrived. They were desperate to save their colleagues and the beasts, but had not the tools for the job - i.e. a boat.

To save the stranded farmers the Coastguard rescue Sea King was summoned and they duly winched them (dogs included) to safe dry ground - boyz, if you read this, WELL DONE! To see that big lump of security hovering above your head must be the most reassuring sight in the whole world - indeed I've a lump in my throat as I type this bit.

Now near the town centre of Lewes there's a boatyard, in which I keep my little fast fishing boat (it's not much, but it's got a good engine, and doesn't draw much water under the keel). I said to one of the farmers that I would go and get it if I could.

I drove as close to the town centre as I was able, but then I ran into the sea of yellow jacketed jobsworths called HM Constabulary.

There was no way that they wanted to let me through to the boatyard (about 400yds away) - not because it was dangerous (flooded yes, dangerous? Well, not IMHO) - but because they were acting 'under orders'. Now where have we heard this before?

So it was a case of "stuff you, mate", and I ended up doing a (timewasting) route march miles across the South Downs to find a way through.

Forty-five minutes later I was at the entrance to the boatyard - unfortunately the delay in me having to take a round-about route had allowed the water level to rise substantially - it's now waist deep.

So, sod it, I'm here, they need a boat up-river asap - so I wade through and decide that the fastest way is to drive it up there against the fierce current.

My boat's tied on to a trailer, both are nearly floating off of their own accord! So, I release boat from the trailer clamber in, start the engine, and launch myself up-river. A huge amount of power required countering the river's flow, and all my years of seamanship are put seriously to the test - steering around huge tree trunks, debris, and the river's eddies.

Unfortunately the river has swollen so much that there's no way that I'm going to be able to get through under the bridge that divides the town.

Worse still, just downstream of the bridge I'm in a very dangerous position (did anybody sea the footage of the lifeboat going under the far side of it, and the lifeboat crew clinging to the railings ? Well I was just as close on the downstream side where it's even narrower and faster). I needed to turn the boat around to go back downstream to the boatyard, but the risk of broaching the boat in that maelstrom of water was very high. I still don't know how I managed it but I was able to get it through 180 degrees, back to the yard and back on to the trailer.

I'm soaked, but decide to march through waist deep water in the centre of the flooded town and back to my car (the shortest route, denied to me before). I need to get help to get the boat to the farmers. I'd just wasted two hours - I could kick myself.

I arrive back where the farmers are and convince them that with a tractor and a four-wheel drive vehicle we can get the boat and trailer out of the yard and back to here.

So off we go - no problems with the water itself - just the officious police officers who think they know better than we do. Again, 'stuff you pal' and we barge our way through. They weren't about to follow, just in case they got their little yellow jackets wet!

Water at the boatyard has now risen even further - it's now chest deep even too deep for a very large tractor to navigate.

"We'll swim through". Thus two farmers, and I did just that. We got to my boat, floated it off the trailer, pulled the submerged trailer through to the boatyard entrance (where it was shallower) put the boat back on the trailer, attached it to a serious 4x4. and we're on our way back to the cattle.

We're all in regular clothes, i.e. jeans, shirts, trainers, soaked !

Back on the north side of the town, and near to the cattle in the river, we launch the boat, clamber in, and head off. These animals have now been totally immersed and 'swimming' in the water for over 4 hours; the water is cold - I can personally testify to that - and they're wilting and terrified.

I can't even begin to describe the heroic efforts the farmers took to save their beasts - two were literally in the water and swimming the animals to the riverbank, one chap ended up close to hypothermia (I had to insist that he was recovered into the boat).

The best technique turned out to be lassoing them and then hauling them, alongside the boat, to the bank - several hundred yards.

Under the water there's normally fields, hedges, fences, barbed-wire, metal poles, you name it - all now submerged. You should see my prop this morning!

We finally dragged the last animal from the water at 20:00. That's nine hours in the cold water for them, and nearly as many for us. To my recollection, we saw five drown, and four expire on the riverbank (just too weak to carry themselves out of the water or to stand up on dry land). That said, many others made it!

Today I hear that the RSPCA are looking to prosecute these farmers for neglecting their cattle!

UNBELIEVABLE ?! These blokes are heroes - they literally risked their own lives! And even more staggering is that the cattle that we were rescuing didn't even belong to the chaps that I was directly involved with - they were just trying to help a colleague - the chap rescued earlier by the helicopter - long after dark, he was still on the bank and trying to revive life into the poor creatures, who were very close to being beyond all help.

Also, today we (the farmers and I) all had to attend the town doctor for a plethora of needles and pills to ward off some (VERY) nasty diseases (trust me, you don't want to know) that we could have contracted from swimming in, and possibly ingestion of, 'polluted' river water.

I can tell you now that, but for us going out there, ALL of those animals WOULD have died - and where were the RSPCA then? and what help did the 'authorities' provide? I'll tell you how much? SWEET FA !

Moral of the story ? Believe in yourself and just get on with it !

I'm gonna say nothing about the 'Monday morning quarterbacks' and so called 'animal lovers' who stood on the far bank and offered no assistance whatsoever to the proceedings.

The farmers weren't the only heroes that day. Some other folks also lent assistance with their boats, to say nothing of a very brave attempt that was made by a young lady in a canoe (she really deserves a big thank you for her most valiant efforts because even from a boat it was most definitely not without danger - let alone in her craft!)

by an average bloke

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