Horse Expected To Recover After Dramatic Rescue
PENN TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- A horse is doing well after a dramatic rescue in Westmoreland County.
It happened at a farm on Richmond Lane in Penn Township.
The 31-year-old horse, named Mr. Higgins, apparently lost his footing on some wet ground and slipped over a hillside.
He was stuck there for about four hours before crews were able to free him.
"We thought he either might have had a heart attack or he died; or if we couldn't get him out of there, he was going to have a heart attack from his age and die that way," said Ed Campbell, the animal's owner.
Crews used a sling and a tractor to turn the horse around. A crane was used to lift him up and suspend him upright until he regained his strength.
Then, the horse was put back on the ground and led by the forklift as he walked up the hill.
"It was something that you think you're never going to have to do, but the resources and the training and the expertise that was there was a key factor for us," said Chief Bill Hobaugh, of the Harrison City Fire Department.
The rescue was caught on cell phone video and also in photos.
The horse is now wearing support wraps on his legs to help him regain his strength, but he's expected to be just fine.
His owners today praised Westmoreland County rescue workers for their great team work in bringing Mr. Higgins to safety.
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