Firefighters successfully freed a horse trapped in a water-filled ditch on Hayling Island this morning after a two-and-a-half-hour rescue operation involving multiple emergency crews.
On-call firefighters from Hayling Island were dispatched at 9am on Thursday, 6 February, following reports of a horse stuck in a ditch off West Lane. Upon arrival, the crew discovered the 14-hand horse trapped up to mid-leg in water.
The rescue team initially worked to clear dense gorse and surrounding trees to reach the stranded animal. Specialist animal rescue crews from Lyndhurst and Winchester were subsequently called to assist with the complex operation.
A local veterinarian attended the scene to sedate the horse, enabling firefighters to safely lift and reposition the animal manually. Following the successful rescue, the horse was returned to its owner’s care.
The emergency services concluded the operation and returned to station at 11:34am after confirming the animal’s safety.
