The Narooma and Bega Volunteer Rescue (VRA) Squads had an unusual mission to lead a 200 kilogram steer to safety after it fell off a cliff at a Bermagui property.
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Just after 10.30am on Saturday, July 3 the teams were called out to a property off South Tilba Road. Landowners found the steer stuck on an embankment 15 metres from the cliff top and eight metres from the beach below. Narooma VRA training officer Malcolm Barry assumed the steer became disoriented and fallen during a storm on Friday night.
"One of our members abseiled down the cliff to the steer and gave it some hay to calm it down," he said.
"The team member was then able to guide the steer slowly to the beach below with the help of another member who gave directions."
The rescue operation lasted an hour and the steer was returned unharmed to the relieved owners who monitored him before he returned to the herd.
"Our members are rescue trained and we often do vertical rescues, but of course it's usually for humans," Mr Barry said.
"The difference with an animal is it could be very frightened and we need to find a way to calm them down so they don't try to run away."
Three members from the Bega VRA assisted five Narooma members.
"It's been a busy time for the squad with six rescues in the past two and a half weeks, but this steer rescue was more out of the ordinary," Mr Barry said.
"The steer was very lucky to have fallen from such a height and stay safe overnight."