From a blazing inferno to a cat stuck in a tree, no job is too big or small for the fire department.
Good thing, too, because when someone becomes a victim of a natural phenomenon, like a sinkhole, brave firefighters are your best resource for a safe rescue.
A sinkhole is a hole in the ground caused by some kind of collapse in the surface layer. The scariest thing about them is that they can form quite suddenly, and are found worldwide.
Granted, if you witness someone falling into a sinkhole and you’re able to help, you should always lend a hand, but sometimes what falls into the hole is not a person, but a horse of a completely different color and you physically can’t help.
Case in point, on June 15, 2015, the Arlington, TX Fire Department responded to an unusual situation. Due to recent flooding, a sinkhole had suddenly formed in a resident’s driveway. The worst part? It opened under the weight of an innocent creature. Fifteen firefighters were sent to the scene and what they found trapped inside the hole was shocking…
Arlington firefighters responded to a strange call last week, yet it was severe enough that they rushed to the scene.
There had been heavy rain in the area, which had damaged drainage pipes under a resident’s driveway.
An underground culvert formed, creating a sudden sinkhole that swallowed a victim as soon as they'd stepped onto the driveway.
The victim was trapped four feet below the surface. “When she fell, she tried to kick herself out, which made her sink more,” Lt. Lee Tovar, a spokesman for the Arlington Fire Department, told the Houston Chronicle.
The victim was Ginger, a horse owned by Carolyn Putney, who has owned her for more than 25 years.
"I was just kind of horrified," Carolyn told NBC DFW. "She's my baby. One of my babies is like one of my children."
Around 12–15 firefighters used straps to help move Ginger, and a backhoe was used to help dig around her.
After two hours, three rescue crews managed to free the frightened and exhausted horse.
Miraculously, she only had a few scratches on her legs and back. She was rushed to the Burleson Equine Hospital, where she is expected to heal quickly.
Although Ginger has a few casts on her legs, she “really couldn't be doing any better," veterinarian Amy Armentrout told NBC DFW.
"It was the perfect storm of fortuitous events," Armentrout continued. "I would consider her extremely lucky because she was trapped in a precarious situation."
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