STROUDSBURG, Pennsylvania (WBRE/CNN) – We’ve all seen the edge-of-your-seat, chewing-your-nails but ultimately heartwarming videos of good samaritains rescuing animals from frozen rivers or lakes.
Dogs, deer, a cat here and there.
But what do you do when the animal in need of rescue is a horse, a Clydesdale horse, weighing in at 1,500 lbs?
And, oh yeah, he’s got a buddy with him. Another Clydesdale, weighing in at that same 1,500 lbs?
A Pennsylvania community tackled just that problem Saturday, and it was all caught on video.
“I saw two horse heads sticking up out of the water,” said Chief Leon Clapper of the Blue Ridge Hook and Ladder Fire Company. “That was the only thing you saw.”
Photos reveal the frightening Saturday morning scene awaiting emergency responders
In typical horse fashion, Wilhelm and Gunther had broken out of their enclosure.
In not so typical horse fashion, they then broke through the ice into 10 feet of water, about a football field length from shore.
The challenges were immediately obvious.
“You’ve got to trench your way to get them back because of the weight,” said Clapper. “There was no way we were going to pick them up, put them on the ice and slide them out in a boat.”
Still, emergency responders are heroes for a reason. And these went to work immediately.
They used a boat to cut a rescue path through the ice, then secured ropes and bands around the horses to begin pulling them to shore.
The two Clydesdale horses – remember, each weighing in at 1,500 lbs. – were immersed in the frigid water of Pine Grove Lake at Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm.
“Some of the other neighbors were horse people so they went and got heaters, their blankets and stuff like that,” said Clapper. “It was, you know, one hell of a team effort.”
“I haven’t met a horse that if they want to get out of somewhere they can’t find a way to do it,” said Deborah DiPasquale, special events director for Quiet Valley Farm. “They’re little Houdinis.”
Or, you know, not so little Houdinis, but who, thanks to a very big assist, are safe and sound.
“You always wonder when you get here and you’re first on the scene and you see that, if it’s going to be a tragedy, and you saw the two horses walk away,” said Clapper. “It’s a hell of a good feeling.”
A veterinarian administered IVs to the horses, and both were monitored through the night to make sure they were okay.
Hopefully Wilhelm and Gunther will wait for warmer weather before plotting their next adventure.