Feb. 24 (UPI) — Emergency responders in Australia were able to rescue a horse that fell into a septic tank in a rural area with the help of a neighbor with an excavator.
The New South Wales State Emergency Unit’s Moruya Unit said on social media that crews responded alongside the SES Batemans Bay Unit, which provided large animal rescue equipment, when a horse was reported to have fallen into the sewage-filled septic tank on Sunday.
A veterinarian was also summoned to the scene to sedate the horse so it would remain calm during the rescue.
The horse was fitted with straps, and a neighbor with an excavator was enlisted to life the equine back to solid ground.
“It took one to two hours to get the horse fully lifted,” an SES spokesperson told 7News. “This is a rare rescue operation.”
The spokesperson said the horse was examined by the veterinarian and was able to walk away from the scene.