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Burnham
Hovercraft Home Page > Burnham Hovercraft
News Archive
July
5, 2006
Swan
rescued with the help of Burnham-On-Sea inshore lifeboat
Burnham-On-Sea's
hovercraft crew performed one of their more unusual rescues on
Wednesday morning (July 5th) when they helped animal experts capture
an injured swan.
 The
bird had been reported to Highbridge-based Secret World Wildlife
Rescue Centre after a walker had spotted it in a distressed state
at Apex Leisure Park, Highbridge after swallowing several inches
of fishing line.
Secret
World’s Head Of Animal Care, Ellie West, called on BARB,
the charity that runs Burnham’s hovercraft, and within minutes
their inshore lifeboat was on the scene to take Ellie out to capture
the stricken animal.
After
a brief chase around the lake in which the animal out-manoeuvred
the boat, it was captured using a net and taken away for treatment
by Secret World’s staff.
"Without
the rescue boat it would have been very difficult and time consuming
to capture," said Ellie.
 This
is not the first time the hovercraft team has helped in rescuing
animals. In June 2005 the group rescued another swan at Apex and
in July 2004 the group rescued two dogs stuck in the mud at Brean.
Alan
Miller, chairman of BARB, said: "If we don't go to the aid
of animals, there's a risk that people may enter the water to
try and carry out the rescue themselves, which can quickly turn
into a tragedy. Providing that we're not jeopardising the rescue
of a person elsewhere, we'll always help."
RELATED
LINKS:
BBC
Online coverage of this story
Official
BARB Web site home page
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