A young mother stayed next to her beloved horse for nearly three hours, after the massive animal got trapped in mud. It was a race around the clock with the tide rising rapidly, but the horse was eventually saved. The brave woman initially managed to rescue her daughter and another horse.
A ride on the beach turned into a nightmare for this mother-daughter duo and their two horses. Nicole Graham was riding 17-year-old Astro, while her daughter Paris was riding a younger horse, when the massive animals got stuck in mud. Desperate, the woman rushed to save her daughter and her horse.
Astro was struggling to find his way out and his desperate efforts to free himself only sank him even more. So his owner clung to him trying to calm him down until, while the young daughter Paris was seeking for help. The girl went to their car from where she was able to call for help. Meantime, her mom remained next to Astro.
By the time a rescue team arrived, both the horse and his owner were exhausted. But fortunately, they were able to pull Astro so safety, after sedating him. The experience was a terrifying one for Graham who owns ten horses.
“It was terrifying. It was also heartbreaking to see my horse exhausted and struggling,” the woman told the Geelong Advertiser. “There was mud everywhere and every time I moved it sucked me back down. It wouldn’t let us go.”
The horse’s rescue was possible thanks to the efforts of the fire crew that teamed up with a vet and a local farmer. Thankfully, Astro was unharmed, but only dehydrated!
“It was a race against the tide and fortunately we won,” said fire lieutenant Roger Buckle. “It was like a quicksand.”
Vet Stacey Sullivan credited the owner Nicole Graham for saving the horse’s life. “A lot of horses don’t make it and I think without the owner there, the chance of survival would have been a lot lower,” she said.
More about this dramatic rescue in the video below!
