'Escape artist' steer rescued from swimming pool

(AP) — A roving half-ton steer has plunged into an icy Ohio swimming pool, requiring a rescue operation that involved a police officer, fire crew and neighbors. They had the 6-year-old Limousin steer named Walter out of the backyard pool in about 15 minutes Tuesday afternoon in rural Ross Township, north of Cincinnati. They put a rope around the animal's neck to keep its head above water and lured it from the nine-foot deep end of the pool into the shallow part and then up the pool's steps.

Becky Freson, whose family owns Walter, said the steer is something of an "escape artist." The animal previously wandered across the street to the grounds of a high school.

The Fresons saod the steer did not appear injured after emerging from the family's pool.

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Information from: The JournalNews of Hamilton, http://www.journal-news.com/cgi-bin/liveique.acgi$schjnfront?jn ron t