Emergency services in California took on the challenge to save the lives of starving cows which have been stranded due to the severe wintery weather that has battered the state over the past weeks.
Crews managed to drop 3.5 tons of hay to stranded cows from a helicopter in Humboldt County on Wednesday.
It took eight trips over a total flight time of seven hours for the mission to be completed.
Video footage captured the cows running towards their food as it was dropped from the helicopter.
As winter weather continues to wreak havoc in the area, impassable roads have left ranchers unable to reach their cows, causing some to die of starvation.
With more snow forecast, local ranchers have recalled how public safety agencies came to their aid more than 30 years ago, and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services has requested assistance from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
"Operation Hay Drop" was launched on Sunday, March 5, with crews using helicopters to deliver hay to remote mountain fields to feed hungry cattle.
Sheriff William Honsal said : "These cattle are an economic driver, they’re starving and they’re calving right now. So all those things necessitate some drastic measures.
"We won’t know until the snow melts how many cattle have died due to these conditions. But I know this for certain, if we don’t act, there’s going to be way more that do die and it will be a catastrophe for our county."
The county sheriff has declared a local emergency due to the devastating effects of the ongoing winter storms as the consecutive major winter storms have wreaked havoc across the county, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
The heavy snowfall has resulted in impassable roads, fallen trees, disrupted utility services, damaged structures, and dead livestock.
The sheriff said that the county's resources have been exhausted, and they are struggling to keep up with the mounting damages.
To make matters worse, more snow and rain are expected, which could result in downed trees, power outages, and road blockages, while small streams and rivers are at risk of flooding, adding to the chaos.
The county is seeking state and federal reimbursement for repairs and other associated impacts.
The amount of funding will depend on the assistance provided by agencies such as the State of California and the federal government, authorities said.
