Local News

Nearly 40 people involved in rescue of 2 horses stuck in mud in Connecticut

“The area was not accessible for equipment.”

Lebanon Fire Department

May 13, 2024

Nearly 40 people worked to rescue two horses that became stuck in a swamp on Saturday in Connecticut.

Firefighters responded to a call reporting the trapped horses in Lebanon, Conn., around 2 p.m. on Saturday, according to the fire department. At the scene, first responders found the horses had wandered about three-quarters of a mile into the woods, becoming stuck up to their undersides in mud.

According to fire officials, teams from multiple agencies, including Durham Animal Response Team, responded to assist with rescuing the animals. The department said because the access road to the area was “complete mud” and with a river also in the way, the teams had to shuttle nearly 40 people and all the necessary equipment with a farm truck, a UTV, and a cargo vehicle. They then worked to construct a makeshift bridge of logs, cribbing, plywood, and signs.

“The area was not accessible for equipment and would require manpower to extricate them from the woods,” the department said.

Fire officials said the goal was to roll the horses out of the mud, which was waist-deep for the rescuers, onto a DART sled device that personnel would then work to pull over the makeshift bridge to flat ground, about 30 yards away from the swampy area.

The first horse was pulled out in about 30 minutes. The second rescue took a little longer since that horse was “considerably more stuck in the mud,” the fire department said.

The entire operation took about five hours, according to the fire department.

A veterinarian responded to the scene and assessed both rescued horses, determining both were in “mild distress” and one of the animals had been in the mud and water for more than 7 hours.

By just before 6:30 p.m., both horses were warmed up enough to stand and were “happily eating some fresh hay,” the fire department said.