Skegness Magazine

Runaway steer shot dead after sea rescue

A steer ran amok in Skegness before running panic-stricken into the sea after it broke away from the Skegness District Meat Traders in 1977.
The animal, a castrated bull, ran from Heath Road, through Dorothy Avenue, along Roman Bank, past the traffic lights and along Sunningdale Drive and Sea View Road, plunging into the sea when it reached the pullover.
The police, who alerted the lifeboat service, followed the steer by car as it charged through the streets of Skegness. The inshore lifeboat was launched and it caught up with the steer which was by this time half a mile out to sea. The animal was alternately swimming and resting. Mr John Chapman, one of the rescuers on board the lifeboat said that a rope was secured around his head and horns by lassooing him. He was lashed alongside the lifeboat with his tail roped up into the air to prevent it from getting in the way of the propellor. Mr Chapman estimated the animal to weigh about 15cwt, saying that it was very strong and took an awful lot of holding. Eventually the steer gave up his struggling and settled down to being rescued. I took one hour and twenty minuted to get the steer ashore at Winthorpe Avenue.
The police were waiting as the steer was brought ashore, which, Mr Chapman said, it was quite happy to do so, until it saw a man in a white hat with a humane killer in his hand. Then it wanted to turn tail and go back into the sea.

“We held it while it was shot in the surf”. Mr Chapman said.

Regulations forbad slaughter for human consumption outside abattoirs, but the animal was too wild to have been returned for official slaughter, so the Skegness Meat Traders, who offered to pay expensed incurred during the animal’s capture, ended up losing £250.

Mr Chapman said “It’s the biggest waste of effort I’ve ever had in my life. He put up a fine fight for his life – I think he deserved to live!”

Picture for illustration only – may look a little like the runaway steer, except for two rather large points!

Source: Skegness Standard, 13th May, 1977.