A cow that was swept 60 miles downstream when the meadow it was living in with the rest of its herd was flooded has been rescued – and its amazed farmer owner has pledged to keep it for the rest of its days after the amazing swimming feat.

The cow was one of a herd of 30 that was hit by flood waters as the farmer that owned them tried desperately to get them to dry ground. He succeeded in getting 20 of the animals to safety, but the other 10 were lost to the floodwaters, presumably swept away.

Yet incredibly, this one cow that vanished from the field in the Dutch municipality of Echt in the southernmost province of Limburg managed to carry on swimming as it was swept 100 kilometres downstream last Saturday (17th July).

It was washed down the rain-swollen Meuse river as strong weather pummelled Western Europe and was on its last legs when it was spotted by a cyclist.

He said that the animal was almost underwater and he raised the alarm with the emergency services who pulled it to safety.

The fire brigade was reportedly “very surprised” that the cow had managed to survive its ordeal over such a long distance, according to local media outlet AD.

The cow’s owner, named in local reports as Har Smeets, age unknown, told local media outlet 1Limburg: “It is unbelievable that such an animal can swim so far. The cow is doing very well. She is resting comfortably on a bed of straw.

“And she’s eaten something again, so there’s nothing wrong with her. She was still examined anyway by a vet in Brabant, and is expected that also gave her a clean bill of health.”

And according to Smeets, the cow, who is reportedly still doing very well and resting comfortably, can go “back to the meadow and she can roam there for the rest of her life.”

He said after surviving such an ordeal in the fast-flowing river and managing to stay afloat for 60 miles (100 kilometres), she had earned the right to a long and happy life.