Flooding in DeSoto County, Florida, has left dozens of animals stranded in high water since last week, prompting a group of cowboys to step in and rescue them.
“Seeing all those cattle standing up there on that little bit of a hill with their heads poked out of the water, nearly drowning, it’s gut-wrenching,” Brady Adams of the Arcadia Cowboys said.
The Arcadia Cowboys have been cutting through fences and riding through flooded areas, searching for hours to save animals from the flood.
“It’s sad that some don’t make it, but with as much water here, I can understand, you know, it doesn’t come quick,” Pete Brewer, one of the Arcadia Cowboys, said.
So far, the group has rescued 23 cows, goats and donkeys.
“We’ll take it and put it on dry ground until the owner comes and picks it up. So, we’ll just take it to our house and put it on dry ground so the owners can come get it,” Brewer said.
Neighbors have also joined the effort, venturing into the floodwaters to help save animals.
“We were out and about, actually, in the nighttime on a boat, actually going through the pastures and try to actually get the animals out,” resident Jason Reid said.
Despite their efforts, the cowboys said they have found at least eight cows that drowned.
“Seeing those animals dead like that, you know, especially horses and cows, just no good,” Adams said.
The search continues, with the Arcadia Cowboys still looking for a donkey and a goat. Floodwaters are beginning to recede, and the area, which was underwater last week with water reaching nearly waist-deep, now looks much different.
