By Rob Ginter - Staff Writer
CNHI
July 2, 2010 —
Nine cows killed in lightning strike
Nine cattle were killed after being hit by lightning on Oak Grove Road Sunday, according to Bath County veterinarian Ben Wilson. The owner of the six cows and three calves, Gerald McDaniel, said he walked upon the tragic scene Monday, the morning after it happened.
"I was out there Monday and heard a calf bawling and looked out there and saw them," McDaniel said. "I thought the calf may be separated from its mother but it wasn't the case. There was six cows waded up in a 20 to 30 foot space, some on top of the others and laying against each other with calves underneath of them."
According to McDaniel, he's glad his family was safe during the storm.
"If it's at the barn, it's better there than at the house," McDaniel said. "I've raised every one those cows from babies. I've never seen lightning strike like that before.”
McDaniel said he's never seen anything like this in his 30-plus years of farming.
"It's not natural for cows to be waded up and laying on top of each other dead," McDaniel said. "If it would have been done by a perpetrator of any type they would have been scattered they all wouldn't have been in a 30-foot area laying against that tree."
The Rowan County Road Department picked up the dead cattle, McDaniel said.
According to McDaniel, the veterinarian claimed the cattle didn't feel any pain during their passing.
