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Hapless goat rescued from tiny ledge 60 feet up a cliff

Firefighters managed to reach the goat after a challenging rescue mission.

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Goat stuck on a cliff in Henfield, West Sussex

Firefighters sprang to the aid of a lonely goat that had gotten itself stuck in quite the predicament – on a tiny ledge 60 feet above the ground.

The goat had been separated from its herd and somehow found itself in a dangerous situation midway up a sheer cliff face at a disused quarry.

But after a challenging rescue mission, firefighters managed to save the daring buck and unite him with his compatriots.

RSPCA inspector Tony Woodley said: “He was standing on a tiny ledge and had been there all day, there’s no way he would have been able to get off it by himself.”

The stranded mammal was spotted at a disused chalk quarry in Henfield, West Sussex, and reported to the RSPCA on Monday, the charity said.

It had somehow gotten stuck on a tiny ledge about 60 feet above the ground and 20 feet below the cliff top.

Mr Woodley could see that the hapless animal would not be able to get down or up on its own, and called the fire service for help.

A specialist team of firefighters attended and, working with the RSPCA, they planned the best way to rescue the goat from its predicament.

Using specialist line rescue skills and equipment, the firefighters were able to safely liberate the goat.

The goat was checked over by the RSPCA and its owner, who had been at the incident all evening as well.

Thankfully the now-freed goat was none the worse for its ordeal and rejoined its herd.

Mr Woodley added: “We suspect this poor goat would have probably been chased and that’s how he ended up in this predicament.

“The rescue was a fantastic effort by all involved and we are so grateful to the firefighters for rescuing this poor goat, especially as it was dark by the time the rescue was carried out.

“Thankfully the goat was none the worse for his ordeal and after a check over he was reunited with the rest of his herd.”

Rescue operation in Henfield, West Sussex
Rescue operation in Henfield, West Sussex (RSPCA/PA)

Giles Sparkes, station commander for Henfield, Partridge Green and Shoreham, was the commanding officer at the scene.

He said: “This was a very unusual and highly challenging rescue, and saw a number of different teams work closely together to carry out an effective rescue at a disused quarry.

“Our Technical Rescue Unit (TRU) worked alongside the RSPCA to get to the goat, and the TRU utilised their specialist rope rescue skills to undertake the rescue.

“They were able to successfully get to the ledge and retrieve the goat in a way that minimised any further distress to the animal.

“They were then able to reunite the goat not only with its owner, but also the rest of the herd.”

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