Everyone who has ever been near the sea or ocean knows that it can sometimes be unpredictable.
One thing you should never underestimate is the rising tide. It can be treacherous if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The tide can be very surprising and mercilessly engulf people and animals in seconds. In some cases, this can lead to a slow and terrible death.
That almost happened to the horse Astro.
Astro’s owner, Nicole Graham, and her daughter were riding their horses near Geelong, in South Australia.
But after a while, the horses got stuck in quicksand, and the ground beneath their feet turned into a deadly trap.
Nicole’s daughter and her horse managed to escape, but Astro and Nicole got deeper and deeper trapped in the churning mud.
Within seconds, Astro was neck-deep in mud, risking a suffocating death.
Nicole stayed by Astro’s side for 3 hours in a battle between life and death.
Every time Astro panicked, he sank further into the mud.
As time passed, the situation became more desperate. I don’t even want to think about what was going through Nicole’s mind…
After three hours of struggling, Astro was not only on the verge of suffocating but also dying of thirst and exhaustion.
To make matters worse, the tide was coming in.
Fortunately, Nicole’s daughter was able to reach solid ground and call for help.
Eventually, rescuers and a veterinarian arrived to assist.
It wasn’t going to be easy, so the rescuers got to work right away.
To prevent Astro from wasting energy and getting more panicked, the vet injected him with a sedative.
Nicole stayed close to her beloved horse the whole time, speaking calmly to him as he received his injection.
A helicopter arrived to lift Astro out of the mud, but the horse was so deeply stuck that it was impossible to tie a rope around him to lift him up.
Astro was scared and exhausted, and Nicole feared the worst. The tide was coming in, and if they couldn’t get him out in time, Astro would drown.
The rescue team took one last desperate measure: they started digging Astro out, but the ground underneath was too soft.
A rescuer compared the clay to quicksand and didn’t like Astro’s chances of survival.
Then, a savior on four wheels appeared.
A local farmer on a tractor came to pull Astro out of the mud. It was a last resort, but worth a try.
That’s when a miracle happened. Nicole, the rescuers, and the farmer miraculously managed to free Astro from the mud.
Watch the dramatic rescue here:
https://youtu.be/wG26cQPSlkM
Nicole has 10 horses and has never experienced anything like this, even though she has ridden horses countless times on the beach.
This story is a good reminder that it doesn’t hurt to be extra cautious. But above all, it’s proof that the bond between humans and horses can work wonders!
