Yorkshire firefighter who rescued from couple being trampled by cows wins award

Simon Cossins has been given the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Public Choice Award, which recognises courage displayed by people across the service.

Mr Cossins, a temporary watch manager at Scarborough Fire Station, was nominated for the award after rescuing a couple who were being trampled by cows in a remote location on the North York Moors in July, 2021.

Two adults in their mid-50s were walking with their two dogs through a field of cows in a remote location on the North York Moors. Mr Cossins was walking his dog nearby and saw the couple being surrounded by cows – he tried to warn them to get out of the field after realising the cows were about to attack.

He witnessed the man being trampled and thrown up in the air by the cows, and the woman being pinned to the fence and trampled. One of the couple’s dogs remained at the man’s side and was uninjured, the other dog was trampled but managed to run away. Putting himself and his own dog at huge risk, Simon went into the field and dragged the couple away from danger over a wall.

He then ran a good distance to get a phone signal and liaised with the control room to give the location and state what help was needed. Mr Cossins looked after the two casualties for 40 minutes before the ambulance paramedics reached them. Both casualties spent some time in intensive care with significant injuries following the incident.