East Aurora, N.Y. (WBEN) - Volunteers from the East Aurora and Orchard Park fire companies braved biting cold temperatures Monday night to save a pair of horses that accidentally wandered onto a pond and broke through a thin layer of ice.
Neither horse was injured in the incident, and both were immediately returned to their owner and checked out by a local equine veteranian.
The incident took place around 9:21 p.m. Monday on a private residence along Reiter Road in East Aurora.
Crews from East Aurora and Orchard Park volunteer firefighters rescued two horses that fell into a pond.Courtesy: Orchard Park Fire Company
The East Aurora Fire Department initially responded and immediately called for mutual aid assistance from the Orchard Park Fire Company's water rescue squad.
Lucy, a 2,000-pound Belgian, was rescued by the East Aurora volunteer firefighters and Orchard Park assisted in rescuing Moose, also a 2,000 pound Begian.
One of the rescued horses.Courtesy: Orchard Park Fire Company
According to its social media post, Orchard Park volunteers deployed "rescue webbing around each side of the horse (Moose)" and connected it to safety lines. Moose was then lifted, gently, from the pond.
Volunteer firefighters also assisted in drying off Lucy and Moose.
The entire rescue operation took less than one hour.
