OAK HARBOR, Wash. — A horse got a helping hand from firefighters last week after getting stuck in a trench on Whidbey Island.
Shortly before 7 p.m. on Thursday, firefighters from North Whidbey Fire and Rescue were called to a report of a horse stuck in a trench in the Crosby/Heller area.
Firefighters arrived to find a 24-year-old mare named Ruby stuck in a 2-foot-wide trench that was being dug for a future water line project.
Though it was raining, firefighters determined there was no threat of a slide in the trench, but the horse was shaking and exhausted in the four-foot-deep hole.
Over the next hour, firefighters worked to widen the trench, remove roots and place plywood at the bottom to keep the horse from sinking in the mud.
After several attempts to back the horse out of the trench, the animal was safely removed.
The owner evaluated the horse for injuries and discovered it had a fractured jaw.