A cow dies after falling through an ice covered pond in Moneta

BEDFORD (WSLS 10) - Bedford Fire and Rescue crews responded to Spring Lake Stockyard in Moneta in response to reports of a cow stuck in a pond. Crews said the cow had walked onto the ice-covered pond and fell through. The cow was removed safely, but later died.

See the full release from the Bedford Co. Dept. of Fire & Rescue below:

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January 26, 2016 – Bedford, VA At about 4 pm this afternoon multiple Bedford County Fire & Rescue units, along with members of the department's Special Operations Command, were dispatched to the Spring Lake Stockyard at the intersection of Rucker Road and Stony Fork Road in the Moneta area of the county for the report of a cow stuck in a pond and in distress. On their arrival crews learned that the cow had walked onto the iced-over pond, the ice broke under its weight and the cow fell into the pond. It was about 100 feet from the pond's edge in water over the cow's head. Two stockyard employees in a canoe were holding its head above the water. Two SOC members dressed in special ice suits went onto the ice and were able to get a rope around the cow's neck and crews then were able to pull the cow to shore. The rescue took over an hour to complete. The cow was taken to a nearby barn and warmed after which all rescue personnel left the scene. It was later learned that the episode had apparently been too stressful for the cow and it succumbed.