Cow’s Cries Led To Life-Saving Rescue This Past Weekend

Published Mar 10, 2026 6:14 pm

Calf rescued after falling down abandoned mine shaft in Campo Seco in Calaveras County—CCF photo

Campo Seco, CA – A cow’s moos resulted in a life-saving rescue this past weekend in Campo Seco near Valley Springs in Calaveras County after the owner decided to investigate and found a big surprise.

The cow’s cries were warranted, as her calf had fallen 30 feet down an abandoned mine shaft on Saturday, March 7, 2026. When Calaveras Consolidated Fire crews arrived on the undisclosed property late that afternoon, rescuers determined that the calf was not injured, so they decided to “return in the morning to extricate the animal.” Firefighters lowered food and water down into the hole to hold the calf over until morning.

The next day, crews from CAL Fire and San Andreas Fire assisted in the rescue, along with an EBMUD backhoe loader, and a retired firefighter/rancher, Joe Butler, who specializes in big animal rescue, assisted in setting up a harness and rigging system to extract the calf from the shaft. Once belted in and looking perplexed but appreciative, as shown to the left, the calf was gently hauled up and reunited with its mother.