VIDEO: A horse that was stuck neck-deep in mud near Hansen Dam is safe after a harrowing rescue by firefighters Tuesday evening.
The horse was enveloped in mud and his rider was also stuck for a time. After freeing herself, she stayed by his side, trying to comfort him as they waited for help.
The incident was reported around 6 p.m. in Shadow Hills on the eastern side of the Hansen Dam recreation area.
The woman and horse were first spotted by AIR7 HD, which helped alert firefighters to their exact location.
Sherry Leigh said she normally doesn't go off regular trails when she rides Ziggy. This time they did and faced the consequences.
"He instantly sank to his belly," she told Eyewitness News. "I didn't try and make him fight or struggle to get out. I stepped off him. I was up to my knees. It was like a suction cup. I couldn't get out."
The rescue team located Leigh and Ziggy and worked to get ropes under him to try to pull him out of the mud. The rope was attached to a winch on a firefighter truck parked nearby.