Horse uninjured after being rescued from mud in Saanich
Firefighters in Saanich were called in to rescue a horse stuck in deep mud Saturday morning.
Video shared on Twitter by Saanich Fire Department Assistant Deputy Chief Robert Heppell shows roughly a dozen people - most of them wearing fire department uniforms - hauling the animal onto solid ground.
In a phone interview, Heppell told CTV News Vancouver Island that the call came in around 10 a.m. from the horse's owner, who said the animal had wandered into a swampy area in northwest Saanich, near Camosun College's Interurban campus.
Crews fashioned slings out of fire hoses and climbed into the mud with the horse to get the slings underneath the animal, Heppell said, noting that they had to be "very cautious."
Images of the horse in Heppell's tweet show the horse submerged up to its neck in the muddy water, which he described as a bog.
With help from neighbours and the horse's owner, firefighters managed to rescue the horse in just under an hour, Heppell said.
He praised the firefighters from the department's B Platoon for their "outstanding teamwork and ingenuity."
The horse, named Gecko, spent a few minutes lying on its side after the rescue, but it eventually stood up, Heppell said.
"As you can imagine, he was quite exhausted," Heppell said, adding that Gecko had not sustained any injuries during the ordeal.
Saturday's incident is the second time this month that fire crews on the Saanich Peninsula have been called in to rescue a horse from mud.
On July 13, Central Saanich firefighters helped rescue a horse that had fallen into a ditch on the Willow Way trail.
In that incident, crews dug a slope on the side of the trail to allow the animal to climb out. They also attached straps to the horse's backside to help lift it out of the mud.
Heppell said horse rescues happen from time to time in Saanich, but they're not common.
"It's not something we train for," he said. "Our crews did a great job."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Questlove was not happy with Drake and Kendrick Lamar's beef: 'Nobody won the war'
While some may have been excited and/or amused by the diss-track feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, the man many consider to be an elder statesman of hip-hop appears less than enthused about it.
Trump heading to Jersey Shore to rally 'mega crowd' in weekend break from hush money trial
After a long week in court, Donald Trump is heading to the Jersey Shore. And his campaign says he'll be joined by "tens of thousands" of his friends.
For moms-to-be, it's possible to take maternity leave without breaking the bank
Pregnancy is often an exciting and anxious time for parents-to-be. And while painting the nursery and choosing a stroller are typically on the agenda, experts say preparing financially for a maternity leave can help reduce stress later on as well.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
Fine dining, at a new high. A Michelin-starred chef will take his cuisine to our upper atmosphere
Six guests are set to ascend aboard Spaceship Neptune to the stratosphere, where they will enjoy an immersive dining experience served up by Danish Michelin-starred chef Rasmus Munk.