What a hero. ❤🙏 So happy they managed to save him!
There’s an incredibly special bond between a horse and a human.
Nicole Graham held her horse Astro’s head above the mud for three hours while rescuers fought to free him from a beach before the tide came in.
It happened in February 2012 at Avalon Beach near Geelong, Australia. Nicole was there with her young daughter, Paris, and their horses when the ground beneath them suddenly gave way.
Both horses began sinking into thick mud.
Nicole managed to help Paris and the smaller horse reach firm ground. But Astro, her 18-year-old horse, was much heavier and could not pull himself free.
He kept sinking.
Nicole went back to him. She tried to help him out, but the mud gripped her whenever she moved. Astro was exhausted, and the tide was rising.
She held onto his neck and kept his head above the mud.
Paris raised the alarm, and emergency crews came to the beach. Firefighters tried to free Astro with hoses, then with a winch. Neither attempt worked.
A local farmer brought a tractor. A veterinarian arrived to sedate Astro so he would not keep struggling as the rescuers pulled.
But every attempt took time, and the water was moving closer.
Nicole stayed beside Astro through it all. She had already brought her daughter and the other horse to safety. Now she was determined to stay with the one who could not follow them.
After nearly three hours, the rescuers finally used the farmer’s tractor to drag Astro onto solid ground.
The tide reached the spot where he had been trapped only minutes later.
Astro lay exhausted after the rescue. As the sedative wore off, the veterinarian helped him back onto his feet. He had survived.
Photographs of Nicole holding Astro in the mud soon spread around the world. To the people seeing them, they showed a remarkable rescue. To Nicole, they brought back a frightening afternoon she did not want to relive.
She later hoped the attention would lead to warning signs for others who brought horses and dogs to the beach.
Nicole knew she could not lift Astro out by herself.
For three hours, she did the one thing she could do.
She held his head up and stayed with him until help brought him home.
Thank goodness they were able to rescue him.
So happy there was a happy ending and more wonderful rides. 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Are we just going to ignore the fact that this is 100% the same thing that happened to Artax in The Never Ending Story?
Watch the rescue in video below:
Thankfully rescuers came to her aid and the farmer brought his life saving tractor. She and all of those who helped, and her horse, bring joy to my heart for their caring and kindness.
