Horse loses footing, falls into trench. California video shows ‘challenging’ rescue
When a 10-year-old horse lost her footing and fell into a trench, it was all hands on deck for a California fire agency.
Some tried to pry Nala from the Laguna Niguel trench after she fell March 11, but she was stuck, Orange County Fire Authority said in a March 12 Facebook post.
So, they called 911.
Technical rescue teams along with a helicopter made their way to the horse, officials said.
Nala was in a “tight” area, making for “a challenging rescue” that included a number of different approaches, officials said.
A video shared by the agency shows rescuers first attempting to pull Nala from the trench as she whinnies and remains unmoved.
Rescuers then cut a portion of a metal fence and remove it to create a gap to access Nala, the video shows.
A veterinarian on scene ultimately sedated the horse, officials said.
Using a range of equipment, a team of rescuers drag the sedated horse from the trench.
“Firefighters were able to free Nala to the cheers of everyone watching,” the agency said.
Veterinarian staff checked on Nala, confirming “she was OK,” rescuers said.
After the rescue, Nala was slowly walking about, a video from the agency posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows.
“Nala is doing great,” rescuers said.
Laguna Niguel is about a 55 mile drive south from Los Angeles.
This story was originally published March 12, 2024 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Horse loses footing, falls into trench. California video shows ‘challenging’ rescue."
