Firefighters Rescue Drowning Newborn Colt from Well

Published: May 22, 2007 | 6223rd good news item since 2003

The owner of the horse spotted the young horse’s head poking out of the well late Thursday afternoon and held it above water until firefighters arrived.

“When firefighters from Forest Grove Fire & Rescue arrived at just before 3 p.m., at 45606 NW Hillside Road in rural Forest Grove, they found the owner of the horse lying on the ground in the pasture holding the colt’s head up above the water in the watering well that was approximately 3 feet across,” recalled David Nemeyer, the fire inspector for Forest Grove Fire & Rescue. “The colt’s head was approximately one foot below the surface of the ground and it was up to its back in water after it had fallen into the well of unknown depth.”

The quick-thinking firefighters got resourceful and used bath towels to create a sling around the animal. Then, with the towels wrapped around the small colt’s torso, firefighters said they were able to carefully lift and drag the visibly frightened animal from the well.

The entire rescue took approximately fifteen minutes.

The colt bounced back fast; within minutes, it was standing up on its own and quickly ran to its mother.

“The mother and baby moved around the pasture and other then looking cold and scared, the colt appeared to be doing well,” Nemeyer added.

The owner of the colt also had it evaluated by a veterinarian for possible injuries.

Published in Animals
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