A horse from Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch fell through the ice on a frozen pond west of Loveland, prompting a rescue operation by Loveland Fire Rescue Authority and Berthoud Fire Protection District. The horse was submerged in icy water and unable to climb out on its own, leading to distress in another horse on the property who alerted ranch staff. The crews used rescue straps to secure the horse and manually lifted it back onto solid ground after approximately 45 minutes of being submerged.
Loveland Fire Rescue Authority Battalion Chief Jayson Starck explained that the exhausted horse needed assistance to be lifted over a 3-foot ledge it was stuck behind. Crews used heaters and blankets to warm the horse before a veterinarian treated it at the ranch. This was the second animal rescue from icy water that LFRA has conducted this year, with Starck noting that they typically handle a handful of large animal rescues annually, including horses caught in fences or ditches.
Starck highlighted the challenges of ice rescues, noting that manual labor is required when animals are in the middle of a pond and a crane cannot reach them. He emphasized the hazards of cold temperatures and the difficulty of the operation, but expressed the importance of rescuing animals in distress, whether they are stuck in a pond or facing other obstacles.
