Taree, Wingham and Forster Pacific Palms SES and VRA units worked for more than four hours to a rescue a beef cow from treacherous conditions in the Manning River on Saturday afternoon, February 20.
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The beast was first spotted by a member of the public floating in the river near Wingham Brush at around 3pm.
She was later spotted further down the river at Andrew Reserve, Taree west by Forster Pacific Palms SES deputy commander, Carissa Bentley, where it attempted to make an unsuccessful escape up the embankment.
It took 20 volunteers a couple of attempts to get the trapped beast out of the muddy, swollen river and on to dry land by securing rope around her girth.
Forster Pacific Palms SES commander, Greg Dodd surmised the animal fell into the fast flowing river well upstream.
"She had a good swim," he said.
"It was a good effort by everyone to get her back to the shore."
In spite of her ordeal, she was able to walk to a nearby holding pen to dry out and have a feed before being transferred to the Taree saleyards.
Her brand and ear tag number have been taken in an attempt to locate the owner.
However, she will be sold at auctioned if her owner cannot be found within the next seven days.