A rescue team member with the new-born lamb and its mother. Photo: Buxton MRT

Mountain rescuers unexpectedly turned veterinary midwives during a callout as blizzards swept their area.

Buxton team members were asked to check on the wellbeing of an elderly farmer and ended up helping deliver a new addition to the livestock.

Team member Carina Humberstone said: “We were asked by our team leader to check on a remote farm in the Brandside area.

“We got less than half-a-mile up the Leek Road when the deep snowdrifts were too much even for the team Land Rover.

“We tried the lower roads instead and were able to get within half-a-mile of the farm, having to do the remainder on foot. With gale-force winds and thigh-deep snowdrifts it was an adventure.

“We arrived at the farm and delivered much needed fresh – unfrozen – water and chocolate bars.

“Thankfully all was well at the farm, apart from this weekend being the one that the ewes thought would be a good time to lamb.

“Some lambs hadn’t made it through the night and as we were helping feed the sheep we came across one struggling to give birth. It didn’t look good but with a little help from us and despite the odds, the lamb survived and we moved it and its mother into shelter.”

Deep drifts thwarted even the Land Rover's ability to reach the farm. Photo: Buxton MRT

Having performed their animal midwifery Buxton MRT members helped feed and protect some of the other animals at the farm before jumping back into their Land Rover for an ‘interesting’ drive through the snowdrifts to their base.