The volunteer RNLI crew from Port Erin sprung into action on Tuesday afternoon (6th October) after two Loaghtan sheep fell approximately 80ft down a cliff.

The male and female had fallen off a cliff on the Calf of Man near the Stack, and were stuck on a ledge, with the tide rising.

The station’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat launched at 1.10pm, with Mark Cain at the helm. The volunteer RNLI crew located the sheep and managed to persuade them to come aboard the lifeboat. They were taken back to Cow Harbour and safely released.

Jason Fleming, RNLI volunteer crew member at Port Erin, was aboard the lifeboat with fellow crew members David Thomas and Matthew Preston. He said:

‘The alarm was first raised by a local fisherman who couldn’t get close enough to bring the Loaghtans to safety. The RNLI would never want to see people put themselves at risk to rescue animals, which is often what happens, so we were happy to help.

‘They had fallen around 80ft into the water and were obviously very cold and nervous when we arrived. The tide was coming in and they wouldn’t have survived in the position they were in. Both were very well behaved aboard the lifeboat and very happy to be released. They ran up the slipway towards the rocks, and soon located some grass, so they went away very happy.’