Calf Rescued from Narrow Culvert by Firefighters in Lockersley

A six-month-old calf was successfully rescued by firefighters after becoming trapped inside a narrow underground pipe on a farm in Lockersley, near Romsey.

Crews from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service were called to the scene on Saturday morning after the young Aberdeen Angus calf was discovered stuck approximately 15 metres into a culvert. The pipe, which runs 60 metres in length and measures just half a metre in diameter, was too tight for the animal to free itself.

Specialist animal rescue firefighters from Winchester, along with a support crew from Redbridge, arrived at the farm around 9am to begin the delicate operation.

Firefighters quickly identified the calf’s location within the pipe and began carefully excavating the surrounding ground. Using a specialist disc cutter, the team was able to cut through the pipe to reach the animal without causing further distress.

Once the pipe was opened, a local veterinarian sedated the calf to ensure its safety during the extraction. Crews then used animal rescue equipment to lift the calf free.

The rescue operation lasted several hours, with crews leaving the scene shortly before 2pm after successfully handing the animal back into the care of the farmers.

This was a challenging rescue in a confined space, but thanks to the skill and coordination of the teams involved, the calf was brought to safety without injury.