Rescue Team Works For Hours to Save Horse Who Got Trapped in a Septic Tank (PHOTOS)

Not being able to help our pets when they’re hurt has to be every pet parents’ worst nightmare — some of us are so sensitive to this that even when we accidentally step on our cat’s tail, we feel like the worst human on earth. Those feelings of anxiety can be even worse when our companion animal isn’t at peak health. In this case, it was a 24-year-old horse named Mercy who fell into a septic tank in Flagler County, Florida. Acknowledging the average lifespan for a horse is between 25-30 years, Mercy was at higher risk of being injured than a younger horse would have been. This sweet horse was reportedly trapped in the well for 30 minutes before Barbara, her guardian, discovered her. Like any of us would do, she immediately called the local police department. Not long after, several crews arrived to begin rescue efforts.

Mercy was found trapped in a septic tank, we can’t imagine how terrified she must have been. Luckily, she wasn’t trapped for long before rescuers came to her aid.

Everyone from a local large animal rescue to the fire department and even members of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office arrived on the scene to help, determined to free her.
According to veterinarians on the scene, “Mercy ran the risk of being paralyzed from lying on her side for too long.” Her rescue was a literal race against the clock. It took rescue crews nearly four long hours of tireless work, but the frightened horse was finally free.
Jennifer Lockwood, a lead veterinarian at Shelton Veterinary Clinic, told The Daytona Beach News-Journal that Mercy “sustained minor cuts and scrapes on her left shoulder and knee from the fall into the tank,” but is expected to make a full recovery.

Mercy’s guardian, Barbara, couldn’t hold back her tears when she learned her beloved horse would be alright. “I thank God from the bottom of my feet to the top of my head because my God is the one that saved her,” Barbara told the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

After such a long rescue, we’re sure everyone was glad this senior horse survived her fall into a septic tank and got out relatively unscathed. According to The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “when she finally stood up, members of the wet, dirty rescue crew began to smile and laugh.”

You can see more photos from Mercy’s rescue by visiting the official Facebook for the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

All image source: Flagler County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook