Rescue Team Rushes To Save Two Clydesdale Horses That Fell Into Frozen Lake


In February of 2019, two horses wanted to go on a wintery adventure. Wilhelm and Gunther are two 15-year old Clydesdales who are well-behaved on most days. They decided to break out of their pastor and take a walk down the road.

It wasn’t long before disaster struck. The horses had wandered onto a frozen lake. They fell through the ice.

The horses tried to do everything they could to free themselves. They thrashed around but were unable to get to shore. They would drown if they didn’t get any help.

A passerby noticed the horses and called the fire department. Several emergency responders immediately raced over to the lake.

As the emergency responders arrived, they figured out that they had a big problem. The horses were too large for the rescue boats. As Chief Leon Clapper identified, it would be impossible to pick them up and slide them onto the boat. The Blue Ridge Hook And Ladder Fire Company would need to come up with another idea.

Ultimately, the emergency responders used ropes as a way of pulling the horses to shore. It required a lot of manpower, but they were able to get the horses out of the water and onto the land. Chief Clapper said it was a good feeling to see the horses walk away when it could have been such a tragedy.

New spread around the community. People brought blankets and heating pads as a way to help the horses. A veterinarian made it to the scene as well in order to check them out. Wilhelm had a sore eye and needed a few stitches. However, it could have been considerably worse for the two Clydesdales.

One neighbor told a local news station that there were a lot of tears. The horses are so beautiful and the community came together to work on rescuing the horses.

After the vet checked the horses out, emergency responders brought the two horses back to Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm, which is where their home is. The owners of the farm were thrilled to know that the horses were okay.

The farm issued a thank you on Facebook.

Wilhelm and Gunther have officially recovered from their adventure. They are now relaxing in their barn. It is unlikely that they will want to go on any new adventures in the near future.

This is definitely a heart-warming story, especially knowing that the whole community came together to offer assistance.


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