MESA, AZ (AZFamily) — Mesa firefighters jumped into action when a call came in to help an animal in need over the weekend.
Around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Mesa Fire and Medical received a call about a horse in distress in a canal. Officials say the horse fell while trying to cross a metal grate bridge. While the rider was able to escape uninjured, the poor horse tried several times to get out, but the bank was too steep.
Mesa Fire’s Battalion 202 arrived at the scene as the horse began drifting further down the canal. Battalion Chief Hickey and Battalion Safety Officer Figgins crossed over the bridge to get to the other side of the canal, and threw a lifeline to the owner on the opposite side. The group was able to keep the horse’s head above water as she was losing strength and getting tired. Crews say the horse nearly drowned several times due to exhaustion.
Thanks to the teamwork, crews and the owner used the lifeline to guide her back to the shallow part of the canal…