Calf survives marathon trip down flooded Australian river

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A calf was rescued after being carried 40 miles down a raging river during flooding in eastern Australia, officials said Wednesday.
Barney, a young bull, was washed away from a farm in New South Wales state during torrential rains Friday night and was rescued Saturday, Tweed Shire Council General Manager Mike Rayner said.
”It’s amazing the beast is alive,“ Rayner said.
”The water ripped half the road out of one particular cutting the bull calf went through — the velocity would have been enormous,“ he said.
Council ranger Wayne Haayer, who assisted in the rescue, said he spotted Barney, which he estimated to be two years old, headed for the ocean.
”He was tired, his head was barely above water,“ Haayer said. ”It was sort of swimming, sort of floating.“
Barney was identified by his tags and returned to owner Don Baxter.
Baxter could not immediately be reached for comment.