Fire crews needed in frog rescue (From The Advertiser Series)

Firefighters called on to rescue stranded frogs

3:20pm Friday 3rd August 2012 in North Yorkshire

A FIRE ENGINE, a team of firefighters and an animal welfare officer were needed when some frogs found themselves in a tight spot. About a dozen frogs and one newt had become trapped in a concrete hole beneath a trampoline at Dishforth Sports Pavilion near Thirsk . But the small amphibeans required a full scale rescue mission. A concerned member of the public called the Rspca when someone noticed the creatures had become stuck at the bottom of the hole in the council-run playground, unable to jump or climb out. The Rspca inspector was unable to free the animals from the awkward spot and in turn called on North Yorkshire firefighters. A retained crew from Boroughbridge, attended the scene at 1.30pm on Thursday afternoon. They had to dismantle the trampoline with small cutting tools then fish the frogs and newt out. A spokesman for the fire service said one of the frogs died, but the newt and the rest of the frogs survived. He said: “We don’t know how or why the frogs got in. The crews dismanteld the trampoline then got the 12 frogs and a newt out. It took about 35 minutes. “Unfortunately one frog was dead, but they released the others out into the wild. “They were released into a woodland nearby we think.“ Nobody from the Rspca was available to comment.