– We sent four units to the scene, said Sebastian Benitez, operator at the Northern Rescue Center, on Thursday morning.
– The stream was only about a meter wide and located on the owner's property near the farm.
By 02:40, firefighters were still struggling to free the horse, even with the aid of a tractor.
– Manpower wasn't enough. The horse was stuck deep in mud and the water reached its shoulders. It was exhausted after struggling for seven hours by the time we arrived.
A neighbor's wheel loader proved to be the solution.
They lifted the horse directly out of the stream. Firefighters have special harnesses for rescuing large animals, but pulling it out wasn't an option.
The ordeal finally ended around 03:00, after the horse had been in the water for nearly ten hours.
–The poor horse was finally free, but it took almost three hours after we arrived, Benitez said.
A neighbor, who did not want to give his name, told Norran about the rescue effort.
– We set up with tractor help, and they may have also used one of our loaders, but I wasn't there personally, says the neighbor.
– I only know that the horse was alive when they rescued it.
A veterinarian examined the horse at the scene.
– It was alive, but I don't have any further details.There were no reported injuries before or after the rescue."
The horse was then released back to its owner and the veterinarian's care.
– These types of calls are uncommon for us, Benitez added.