Surf lifesavers have helped rescue a cow that was swept away in floods and washed up on a beach on the New South Wales Mid-North Coast.

"We got there and there was debris everywhere, and this young calf in shallow water," Mr Cameron said.

"The calf was pretty distressed and exhausted, it had probably been dragged out through the river mouth."

Mr Cameron said the lifesavers and a few locals tried to "Usher it out of the water and sort of herd it away".

"But it didn't really want to do that.

"The calf wasn't terribly happy that people were all around it, but we needed to get it to safety.

"We ended up having to get ropes, and the local vet on hand, and he helped us rope it, and try and get it up out of the water."

Mr Cameron said the best way they found to get it moving out of the water was "When it was trying to charge at us".

Once it was on the beach the cow was tied with rope.

"We got one of the guys to run back and grab a spinal board out of the club. We figured that it had handles, would carry the weight.

"I think there was about eight or ten of us. We used the spinal board to lift it and got it up on the back of the ute."

'The calf was perfectly fine'

The cow was taken to a paddock and checked by a vet.

"He was amazed. He said it was perfectly fine, in good health," Mr Cameron said.

He said "five or six other cows" had also washed up on the beach so far.

"They seem to be able to swim fairly well and get up and go again.

"Members of the public have started ushering them off the beach if they can, or letting them do their own thing."

He said rescuing the cow was all in a day's work.

"It was just something that needed helping. We didn't really know what we're doing, we just improvised and helped something that needed helping."

So far 15,000 people have been evacuated in the Mid-North Coast due to flooding.

Mr Cameron said the local community was doing its best to support those in need.

"We've been through the bushfires, now through floods. Everyone does sort of band together and help each other where they can," he said.

Story By | Dan Conifer