It took nearly 40 people several hours to rescue two horses that became stranded in deep mud on a farm in Connecticut on Saturday, fire officials said.
The Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department said it received a call at around 2 p.m. on Saturday requesting assistance with two horses stuck in the mud in a "swampy area" of the woods about three-quarters of a mile behind a farm in Lebanon.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, they found the horses stuck "up to their undersides," and quickly realized additional help would be required. LVFD and the farm called in the Durham Animal Response Team (DART), which has experience with similar mud rescues and had specialized equipment.
To transport personnel and equipment to the scene, LVFD called in Dave Kukucka and Chris Snow to use their so-called "Deuce and a Half" vehicle, a name that typically refers to 2.5-ton 6x6 cargo trucks.
LVFD cleared a path through the muddy woods, and to cross a river halfway in, the department constructed a makeshift bridge from logs, cribbing, plywood and signs.
The Deuce and a Half, an LVFD UTV, a farm truck and another vehicle shuttled in ropes, wood, saws, rescue equipment, veterinary supplies, food, water, and close to 40 personnel.
DART set up their sled equipment, preparing to roll the horses out of the mud, which was about waist deep for rescuers, LVFD said. Using rope systems, rescuers then had to pull each horse over the makeshift bridge to flat ground some 30 yards from the swamp.
-With reporting from TMX.
The first horse's extraction began at around 4:25 p.m. and was completed at 4:56 p.m. The second horse's extraction began at 5:15 p.m. and was completed at 5:48 p.m.
A veterinarian from Fenton River Vets assessed the horses at the scene. Both horses were in "mild distress," and one had been stuck in the mud and water for over seven hours.
After warming the horses up, they were able to stand on their own shortly before 6:30 p.m.
"We are happy to report both got up without issue and were happily eating some fresh hay," LVFD said. All rescue personnel were out of the woods shortly before 7 p.m., and no injuries were reported.
