Nine sheep which were trapped in a cold river were saved after rescue mission which lasted more than three hours.

Sadly, seven more had already died after they became trapped in the river near Watford.

On Wednesday, a lorry driver travelling along the M1 spotted the flock of sheep and called the RSPCA.

Watford Observer:

Alongside firefighters and highways officers, the teams managed to come to the rescue of the drowning animals which could only be accessed from the hard shoulder of the motorway.

When they arrived, they realised that seven of the animals had already perished in the cold, deep water, but nine, which were struggling to keep their heads above water, were pulled to safety and wrapped in blankets.

RSPCA animal collection officer (ACO) Kate Wright said: “It was so upsetting that some of the sheep had died but I’m so pleased we were able to save nine lives. Thank goodness the lorry driver spotted these stricken sheep and called us for help or they all would have died.

“The sheep all had sodden fleeces so were extremely heavy to pull out of the river, many of them were struggling to keep their heads above the water. The sheep had access to the river for their water source but there were a lot of overgrown reeds at the edge so we believe they may have mistaken it for riverbank and fallen in.”

Watford Observer:

Animal welfare officer Pete Warne and two firefighters braved the water themselves and then used an inflatable to pull the sheep up to the bank where they were checked for injuries.

ACO Wright added: “Some of the sheep made fairly quick recoveries and soon returned to grazing in the field but some were very weak and completely exhausted so we kept them wrapped in blankets for longer and did our best to rub them dry."

Watford Observer:

She added: “It was such a cold day so the water must have been freezing. Had we not have got there when we did I’m certain they wouldn’t have survived in the water for much longer.

“This goes to show how important it is for farmers and livestock keepers to check on their animals regularly. Defra’s codes of practice for livestock say they should be checked at least once a day.”

Watford Observer: