At least 30 firefighters from different firehouses were working to the point of exhaustion to rescue two horses after they fell through an icy lake in upstate New York.
The dramatic February 18 rescue — which was recorded by a Sheriff's Office Deputy from Erie County — shows just how deep the horses were stuck in a freezing local pond. Like the dog who suffered a similar slip in a Massachusetts pond, it was impossible for the horses to get out on their own.
"They were getting weaker and weaker, and we could see that there wasn't much time. The breathing was slowing and so forth," Chief Mark Schaefer of the Blossom Fire Company told WKBW. "So we just swung those axes until we broke a channel through the ice.”
Once the volunteer firefighters broke through the ice, they worked tirelessly to make sure the animals were brought to safety on land.
View photos and video of the incredible rescue below.
Officers from the Erie County Sheriff's Office were called to a farm in upstate New York where the horses were trapped.
Thankfully, firefighters from three different firehouses showed up to help the horses before it was too late.
After breaking through the ice, the volunteer firefighters kept pulling on the horses’ harnesses to bring them to safety.
"You couldn't look in the eyes of the horses, and not just keep plugging along to get them out," Chief Mark Schaefer said.
And despite the horrifying incident, the horses are doing well.
"With warming and they started to feed a little bit, and some compassion from the owners and everybody, they calmed down and they seemed to be doing very well when we left the scene,” Schaefer said.
Make sure to also watch footage from the rescue in the video below and please SHARE to praise these firefighters for going above and beyond for these beautiful animals!
