Tragedy struck northeast of Mill Shoals on Monday when five cows died after falling through the ice on a pond near the home of Robert Black. Four of the cows belonged to Robert, while the fifth was owned by his father, Alex Black of Mill Shoals.
According to family members, they had been chopping ice at the pond’s edge every day during the recent cold snap to ensure the cattle had access to water. Despite these efforts, the cows wandered onto the frozen pond and broke through the ice.
A small army of neighbors responded to the emergency Monday afternoon, managing to pull all five cows out of the freezing water alive. Sadly, all five animals subsequently died.
The ongoing bitterly cold weather has made conditions extremely challenging for local ranchers, who must chop ice daily to provide water for their livestock.