Horse hoisted to safety from 12ft-deep ditch
Mare submerged in marsh water THIS is the dramatic moment a horse was rescued from a 12ft-deep ditch.
The two-year-old male was spotted submerged in a gripe in Marshmeadows, New Ross, Co Wexford, at 8am yesterday.
Gardai were notified and after contacting the Wexford Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals, more than 10 people were involved in the dramatic rescue operation.
Animal inspector Petrina Busher said: “I managed to get a rope around his neck.
“I had to lasso it but couldn’t get to the head. I managed to keep his head out of the water.”
A man who arrived on the scene managed to get a rope under the horse’s hind legs, which kept it from drowning, but rescuers had no means of lifting the animal from the water.
SHAKING
Ms Busher said: “We needed a teleporter as it was gone very tired and was shaking all over.
“It went under two or three times. We nearly lost him.
“It really was a joint task-force effort to rescue Ross, which is the name we gave him.
“By the end there were 12 of us trying to lead him out.’
Eventually, by 11am Ross was pulled from the gripe.
Ms Busher said: “Physically he was in good condition but was very distressed.
“Trying to get him out was such a dangerous operation as we couldn’t get to his front legs.
“There was too much muck and too many reeds and there was a danger of him choking.
“It was only pure luck that one of the men managed to get a rack strap from a golf buggy under his back legs to help lift him out. It was fairly traumatic.”
During the rescue, a mare was spotted roaming nearby, but was not in any immediate danger.
Ms Bushner said the two horses were removed to a stables to be re-homed.
She also thanked involved in the rescue. everyone