Forty people fought through knee-deep mud in a Connecticut forest in a tireless five-hour rescue effort after two horses were stranded on their sides in a swamp, authorities said. He was pulled to safety by first responders.
On Saturday, the horses wandered about three-quarters of a mile behind a farm in Lebanon and got stuck in a “swampy area,” city volunteers said. the fire department said.
According to police, one of the two people was trapped for seven hours.
Rescuers working with multiple agencies used cargo trucks to transport ropes, wood, plywood and other equipment to the scene and assembled sleds to pull the animals out of the deep mud.
“The access road was completely muddy and we had to cross a river.” [halfway] ,” the ministry wrote.
A makeshift bridge was built using logs, sleepers and plywood to allow rescue workers to walk into the forest.
Once the first horse was rolled onto the sled, it took about 30 minutes to get it onto solid ground. Rescuers spent another 30 minutes getting the second horse to safety by 6 p.m.
Photos of the dramatic rescue show a harness wrapped around one of the horses as rescue workers prepare to pull the sled out of the woods, and paramedics cutting logs and carrying them to the muddy scene. It is also pictured.
In all, it took five hours to clear a path to reach the horses, get them out of the mud and assess their health, the fire department said.
Both horses were in “mild distress” but were able to stand up without any problems and immediately began munching on fresh hay, the fire department said.
