Pictured: The tiny field mouse who saved himself from a flooded river using his tail

Pictured: The tiny field mouse who saved himself from a flooded river using his tail

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 9:59 PM on 12th January 2009

Usually a field mouse would not encourage much attention, apart perhaps from a squawk from a startled bystander as it scuttles past.

But one little rodent had a crowd of onlookers rooting for him today as he fought for survival in a flooded river before miraculously managing to save himself using his tail.

As Britain started to thaw after three weeks of freezing weather, the River Irthing at Newby East near Carlisle began to reach dangerous levels - for mice at least.

The tiny creature was first spotted clinging to a branch in the muddy, brown water as the river roared around him.


Holding on for dear life: The tiny field mouse clings to the branch but realises there is no escape as the River Irthing in Cumbria rages below


The poor thing looks to be on his last legs...

He then made a daredevil leap on to the stone bridge running across the river but only managed to cling on for a few seconds before plunging back in.

Carried along by the torrent, it appeared there was no hope as the mouse lay motionless on his side while he was buffeting in the water.

But then, incredibly, the dogged rodent managed to save itself - using his tail.

Whether planned or simply a piece of luck, it wrapped around a piece of driftwood which allowed the mouse to stay afloat for a vital few seconds.

When the piece of wood collided with some more debris, he weakly managed to drag himself out of the water.


... until he hooks his tail around a twig in the torrent


... which drifts to the bank and is caught in other driftwood, allowing our hero to make landfall

Eventually, the driftwood hit the bank and the mouse jumped on to dry land, much to the astonishment of the people gathered watching his adventure.

John Armstrong, 42, said: 'I was looking down into the water when I saw something move on a branch over the river.

'I saw that it was a mouse and he was clinging on for dear life as the branch swayed in the wind.

'He decided to take a leap for the stone bridge and he almost made it but ended up in the water.

'I lost sight of him but he resurfaced and I really thought he was dead, he was lying on his side.

'Then his tail got wrapped around a piece of wood and he was carried into a little raft of debris floating down the river.

'That mouse has a charmed life, but I walked away feeling really chuffed that he'd got out. It was amazing.'

Heavy rain and hurricane force winds battered Cumbria today as the 'Big Freeze' finally came to an end.

This was the only story of rodent derring-do but drivers had to be rescued from their cars, roads were closed and train services cancelled as conditions worsened.

Several rivers were being monitored for flood risks today across the county.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1113187/Pictured-The-tiny-field-mouse-saved-flooded-river-using-tail.html