A 20-year-old horse named ‘Lucky’ lived up to her name after she was rescued from a sinkhole that opened up in her backyard in Lake View Terrace, LA. The 1,200-pound mare fell into the sinkhole on Wednesday afternoon, when the ground gave way under her hooves.
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) responded to the 911 call and deployed more than 50 firefighters, including a Specialized Mobile Animal Rescue Team (SMART), to the scene. They also considered using a helicopter, but decided to use an excavator and a vacuum truck instead.
The rescue operation took several hours, as the firefighters had to carefully dig out the sand and strap Lucky with a harness. They then lifted her partially out of the hole and helped her get her back legs on solid ground. Lucky was able to walk out of the pit on her own, with no major injuries.
LAFD Capt. Erik Scott said the goal was to not hurt the horse and keep her calm. “She’s been in mild to moderate distress at this time and we want to get her freed and get more definitive care,” he told ABC 7 Eyewitness News1.