Two horses stranded on their side in a swampy mess were pulled to safety by 40 first responders who battled through knee-deep mud in the Connecticut woods to successfully complete the arduous five-hour rescue, officials said.
The horses were wandering about three-quarters of a mile behind a Lebanon farm when they became stuck in a “swampy area” Saturday, the town’s volunteer fire department said.
One of the two men was stuck for seven hours, according to the department.
Rescuers from several agencies used a cargo truck to transport materials, including ropes, lumber and plywood, to the scene to build a sled to help pull the animals from the deep mud.
“The access road was completely muddy and there was a river to cross (halfway),” the department wrote.
A makeshift bridge was built with logs, cribs and plywood so rescuers could walk through the woods.
After the first horse was rolled onto the sled, it took about 30 minutes to get the animal onto firm ground. Rescuers took another 30 minutes to bring the second horse to safety at 6 p.m.
Photos of the dramatic rescue show a harness wrapped around one of the horses as rescuers prepared to pull the sled out of the woods and also showed rescuers cutting and carrying logs to the muddy scene.
In total, it took five hours to lay out a path to reach the horses, clear them of the mud and assess their state of health, firefighters said.
While both horses were in “mild distress,” they were able to get up without issue and quickly began munching on fresh hay, firefighters said.
New York Post
