’20 firefighters’ try to rescue single goose

Wednesday, 9 April 2025 19:55

By Ethan Davies, Local Democracy Reporter

Around ‘20 firefighters’ and ‘four fire engines’ scrambled to rescue a GOOSE — only to see the avian ‘free itself’ and fly away.

Crews were called to Potato Wharf, in the Castlefield neighbourhood of the city centre, at 11:45am on Monday (April 7). The fire service was contacted by charity the RSCPA, whose staff were attempting to rescue the goose.

The hour-long operation used five fire vehicles, a large net, 9m ladder, and even required a cordon. In the end, the feathered friend managed to free itself from the basin and fly off of its own accord.

Office worker Alex Duckett saw the incident unfold and said he’d ‘never seen anything like it’.

“Four fire engines, a specialist vehicle, 20 crew members — and one goose,” he went on. “The whole area was taped off, they had ladders, nets, even walkie-talkies… all that gear.”

Images taken by eyewitnesses appear to show the bird trapped underneath a bridge near to a Bridgewater Canal wharf. Mr Duckett said two RSPCA officers had attempted to catch the goose, which fell down a basin, with ‘a large net’.

A spokesperson for the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) confirmed its crew members were there for ‘around an hour’.

“At shortly before 11.45am on Monday (April 7) GMFRS were called by the RSPCA to assist in the rescue of a goose stuck in a canal basin at Potato Wharf, Manchester,” they said in a statement.

“Firefighters working alongside the RSPCA used a nine metre ladder to enter the canal basin before the goose freed itself. Crews were in attendance for around one hour.”

The RSPCA has advice on what to do if you come across a trapped animal online here. The charity asks the public not to contact local branches for advice, and instead go to its national contact centre.