Woman towed to safety by cow after being swept away

3.00pm

A Woodville farmer swept away by raging floodwaters yesterday as she was moving her herd was "rescued" by one of the cows.

Kim Riley, of Broomfield road in Woodville, sharemilks 350 cows with her husband Keith, on a farm near the entrance to Manawatu Gorge, and was caught by floodwaters when bringing the herd in for milking.

About 5am, half the herd of 350 took a wrong turn, into the floodwaters, and Mrs Riley was caught in the current and swept away among the cows.

"The wife tried to head them off, on foot, and ended up getting caught in the current with them," Mr Riley told National Radio.

"She got swept down with them -- heading toward the Gorge area," he said. "She tried to get back to the ground she started on, but decided that was not going to be a runner.

"She missed a couple of points -- a tree that at one stage she thought she might be able to get to -- and in the end got amongst the cows.

"A couple of them swam over her, and then she managed to hang onto one and it swam 200m - 300m to across the flooded area to a bit of high ground and they managed get out there.

Mr Riley said the couple knew which cow to thank for taking his wife to safety.

It appeared most of the rest of the 350 cows also made it to safety, but the milking shed and most of the farm was still under water, he said. Neighbours were helping to milk the cows today.

- NZPA