Adorable calf's 'miracle' escape after getting stuck in eight-foot ditch

Those are the heart-warming words of a farmer’s wife who has spoken of her joy after a new-born calf found its way out of a huge hole after all hope had been lost.

The definition of a miracle is a “very lucky event that is surprising and unexpected”.

And that could not be more apt in the case of Jeanie, a three-day-old calf who somehow made it out of an eight-foot ditch.

Jean and Peter Pearson, who run Cliff Hollins Farm in Oakenshaw, feared the worse when even the fire brigade was unable to free the calf despite their best efforts. 

It was a successful birth on Friday, May 21, with mother and baby taking to the farm’s field the following day with no problems. Then at 8am on Sunday morning, disaster struck.

The couple discovered the baby calf had fallen down a deep hole, which had appeared due to the heavy rain over the previous weeks, in the old mining
field. 

Farmer Peter Pearson surveys the hole Jeanie was stuck in

The pair immediately contacted the fire service and seven firefighters arrived to rescue the animal.

By 1pm, it did not look good as the area was deemed too dangerous for them to continue.

Jean would not be deterred though and asked her husband if he knew anybody who had access to a digger.

Luckily, he did, and his friend was able to dig a 12-foot-wide tunnel, creating a tiny space in which everybody hoped the calf would use to get back to land.

A long three days followed with Jean constantly visiting the hole wishing to see the animal return.

She would even whistle gain Jeanie’s attention.

Whilst others’ hopes faltered, Jean forever believed that a breakthrough would be possible.

She said: “After seeing the calf down the hole, we immediately rang the fire brigade who tried their very best but, in the end, decided it was best to leave it as it was too dangerous.

“I thought we can’t leave it like that, we can get someone with a big digger.
“The guy came and dug a tunnel going down as deep as he could, so it could get up. 

“Nobody, except me, had any hope. Three times a day I went to check with no avail. 

“I would whistle each time I went. 

“My whistle is so loud you could hear me in Cleckheaton.

Jean would whistle to get the calf's attention

“I just thought and prayed if it could hear it the chance might be there.

“I carried on doing this until Thursday when me and my friend went up and low and behold a miracle happened. 

Peter and Jean with friends Geoffrey Hewitt and Heather Green

“In the corner of the field, I saw the baby calf cowering in the corner full of mud. 

“We got the mother to make sure it was her baby and sure enough they were reunited.”

Jean added: “I wanted to call her Miracle, but my husband Peter said, ‘no way, it is going to be called Jeanie after you because without you it wouldn’t have survived’.

“The miracle baby Jeanie will never leave the farm.”

She said both Jeanie and mum are doing well.