Certain emergency situations demand more than just skill; sometimes, they need a significant amount of brawn, or perhaps in this scenario, a hefty dose of bull power.
Tuesday night saw deputies from the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office stepping in to support the California Highway Patrol (CHP) when they encountered a large bull meandering along Highway 35, unrestrained and on the move.
Images released by the sheriff’s department illustrated officers’ efforts to get the bull under control, aided importantly by a good Samaritan who played a key role in the successful capture.
After spending hours in vain trying to steer the bull to safety, authorities recognized they needed to bring in someone with specific know-how and prowess to handle the task.
Enter Samuel Ramos Palomino, a local from Half Moon Bay, who responded to the call for help and played a pivotal part in guiding the stubborn bull back to its abode.
San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies work near a bull that had been running loose along Highway 35, creating a hazard for motorists. (San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office)
Palomino, a foreman at Sea Horse Ranch with 35 years of experience working with large animals, was asleep when deputies reached out shortly after midnight. Despite having to be at work at 4 a.m., he immediately got up, prepared his truck and livestock trailer and came to help.
What followed was no easy task, authorities said.
Palomino worked alongside Sheriff’s Office deputies and CHP officers as they followed the bull for several miles, making repeated attempts to lasso it.
A loose bull is secured after traveling several miles along Highway 35 as deputies and CHP officers work to clear the roadway. (San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office)
Eventually, the team was able to take the bull literally by the horns.
Once the animal was secured, Samuel used his expertise to safely load it into his trailer. He then went one step further, providing a secure location for the bull until it could be returned home at daybreak.
First responders approach a bull that had been traveling along Highway 35, posing a hazard to passing motorists. (San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office)
By the time the job was done, it was about 2:30 a.m. or just 90 minutes before Palomino had to get up for work, the sheriff’s department said.
The department lauded the foreman’s hands-on assistance, saying he likely prevented a serious collision or injury on the busy highway.
Samuel Ramos Palomino meets with Coastside Patrol Bureau Capt. Allen and Half Moon Bay City Manager Chidester after the overnight response on Highway 35. (San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office)
Coastside Patrol Bureau Capt. Allen and Half Moon Bay City Manager Chidester later met with Samuel in person to thank him for answering the call.
“Samuel, thank you for answering ours,” the department said. “Your skill, courage, and willingness to help made the Coastside a safer place that night.”