The RSPCA, firefighters and Highways England personnel rescued a flock of sheep from a freezing river next to a highway. Photo courtesy of the RSPCA

The RSPCA, firefighters and Highways England personnel rescued a flock of sheep from a freezing river next to a highway. Photo courtesy of the RSPCA

The RSPCA, firefighters and Highways England personnel rescued a flock of sheep from a freezing river next to a highway. Photo courtesy of the RSPCA

The RSPCA, firefighters and Highways England personnel rescued a flock of sheep from a freezing river next to a highway. Photo courtesy of the RSPCA

Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Emergency responders and animal rescuers spent three and a half hours working to rescue 16 sheep stranded in an English river.

The RSPCA said a team of its rescuers were dispatched alongside Highways England workers and Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue crews when a truck driver repored spotting the flock of sheep stranded in a river alongside the M1 highway in Watford, Hertfordshire.


"The only access to the sheep was via the motorway hard shoulder so we called in officers from Highways England to help. We also requested assistance from Hertfordshire Fire & rescue Service and a crew from Garston Blue Watch and the Hatfield Water Rescue Team came to help," animal collection officer Kate Wright said.

The rescuers said nine sheep were successfully rescued from the water, while seven died in the freezing water.

"Some of the sheep made fairly quick recoveries and soon returned to grazing in the field but some were very weak and completely exhausted so we kept them wrapped in blankets for longer and did our best to rub them dry," Wright said.