WALTON COUNTY FIRE RESCUE FIREFIGHTERS RESCUE HORSE TRAPPED IN WATER TROUGH
MOSSY HEAD, FL. – A 22-year-old horse is back on her feet thanks to the quick thinking and teamwork of Walton County Fire Rescue firefighters and Walton County Animal Control.
At 11:19 this morning, Walton County dispatchers received a call about a horse trapped upside down in a water trough at a home on Brookside Drive in Mossy Head. The horse, named Delisia, had just returned from three weeks at a veterinary hospital in Tallahassee, where she was being treated for severe equine asthma. Her owner, keeping a close eye on her after such a long absence, had left her side to go inside her home briefly to comfort her dog, who was frightened by thunder. When she returned to the barn, she found Delisia overturned in an empty water trough.
Firefighters arrived on scene alongside Walton County Animal Control Officer Brandy Sydow, and Walton County Sheriff’s Office deputies. After a quick assessment, the team began coordinating a safe way to lift the horse out of the trough. Part of a partition, positioned over the trough, had to be removed by firefighters. Once cleared, straps were carefully placed around Delisia, and using the owner’s tractor, the firefighters lifted her to safety.
Doctor Blackwood, veterinarian for the Walton County Animal Shelter, came to examine her, and fortunately, Delisia had no injuries.
“Animal rescues like this are always rewarding,” says Walton County Fire Rescue Fire Chief Austin Pugh. “Our team was just glad we could safely get this horse out of a dangerous situation and reunite her with the family who has cared for her for the past 18 years.”
Thanks to the quick response and careful work of everyone on scene, Delisia is now safe, healthy, and back with her herd.
