Dramatic Westchester Rescue Of Horse Stuck Up To His Shoulders In Mud

NORTH SALEM, NY — A dramatic rescue of a horse in serious distress had a happy ending.

On Tuesday night, the Croton Falls Fire Department was called to the scene of a horse in trouble.

The horse, "Niko," was spooked while being ridden around a vineyard, and took off crashing through the woods, losing his rider along the way. After riding alone for almost a mile, Niko was mired in mud and fell over, unable to stand up by himself.

The horse was alone in the woods while the rider was seeking help. Firefighters called Westchester County Aviation and the Yorktown Fire Department Drone to help find Niko. After it was determined that only utility vehicles and all-terrain vehicles could navigate the wooded area, Goldens Bridge Fire Department's Utility 38 was requested.

After an hour of searching at the former North Salem Vineyard on Hardscrabble Road, crews found that Niko was buried up to his shoulders in mud, about one mile deep into the woods.

First responders requested the Westchester County Technical Rescue Team, the Putnam County Technical Rescue Team, the Patterson Fire Department with their Horse Rescue Special Operations Unit, and other agencies from both Westchester County and Putnam County.

"This was a really wet swamp with boot sucking mud," said Putnam Technical Rescue Team Commander Joey Nickischer. "Rescuers were falling over as their feet got stuck and had to rely on each other to pull themselves free."

The rescue plan involved "building" a roadway of about 20 plywood sheets between dry ground and the horse, and then digging Niko out as much as possible.

"We had an excavator on site ready to assist," said Herb Doerr of the Westchester County Technical Rescue Team, "but it couldn’t get as close as we’d like because the mud was too deep."

A local veterinarian administered anesthesia to the horse in order to calm the creature down. Ropes and straps were then wrapped under Niko to help free him from his predicament. It took over 25 individuals to pull Niko out of the mud, sliding the horse onto a makeshift sled. The sled could then glide over the improvised roadway onto more solid ground, where Niko was finally able to safely stand up.

After nearly three hours, Niko was successfully removed from the heavily wooded swamp area and walked out with the assistance of veterinary staff and Special Operations Personnel, according to fire officials.

Personnel on the ground described this as a very difficult rescue. It took the combined skills, equipment and experience of all the fire-rescue personnel to have a positive outcome, plus a dozen agencies to support the 4-plus-hour long operation. In the end, Niko was able to walk onto a trailer and was transported to a veterinary clinic for evaluation.

"As always, tremendous thank you to all our local first responders and volunteers. Your efforts will not go unnoticed and we’re proud of the work you’ve done," said Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne. "The ingenuity displayed by our Putnam County Technical Rescue Squad is something to be admired and I cannot be more proud of them for their success in their first call along side their counterparts in Westchester.

WCDES Battalion 13, County Car 2, County Car 4, County Car 8, County Car 36 with Communications Staff, WCPD Aviation, WCDES TRT Car 2001, North Salem PD, and PCBOES Battalion 12 and 15 operated and provided assistance.

EMS from North Salem VAC, WCEMS, and WEMS 45 Medic 3 treated multiple patients at the scene, while Lewisboro VAC stood by for North Salem VAC in their headquarters.

While all units operated for four hours, the Carmel Fire Department stood by at the Croton Falls Fire House until units returned in service.

The Croton Falls Fire Department thanked all of their mutual aid for assistance that resulted in a happy ending.