SPARE a thought for animals struggling to cope in this heatwave.
Two cows sauntered to the edge of the Bridgewater Canal in Runcorn for a cool drink and took a tumble.
A rescue operation was launched shortly before 9pm last night after farmers raised the alarm.
Gerard Bateman, 62, of Marina Village, said: "My wife and I were in the garden chilling when we heard commotion outside.
"We live on the edge of the canal and went to have a look. Lo and behold a cow emerged from one of the canal boats!
"It would appear that with the hot weather it went too close to the water for a drink and fell in.
"The cow was making every attempt to get onto the bank but its hind legs wouldn't come up."
Initially it was feared that one cow had fallen into the canal but crews found two in the water.
Firefighters and the animal rescue team from Lymm used an inflatable raft to reach the animals.
They guided them to a nearby slipway at the marina and helped them out of the canal.
"It was an unusual sight," added Gerard. "A lot of people came out to see what was happening.
"You often see the cows in fields at the back of Daresbury labs. There is no fencing up. The cow just took a tumble."
Emergency crews were at the scene for around two hours.