By Tyler Wright
A horse at risk of drowning on a Belgrave South property was saved by local emergency service volunteers.
Jack, a 22-year-old Gelding, fell into a large septic tank on Thursday 12 January, with Belgrave South Fire Brigade, Narre Warren East Rural Fire Brigade, Fire Rescue Victoria called to assist alongside Macclesfield Fire Brigade.
With specialist equipment for large animal rescues, Macclesfield Fire Brigade was able to halter and lift the horse out of the tight space after accompanying crews bucketed sewerage out of the tank.
“We had to get some straps underneath the horse. We use these big wide straps that don’t dig into them and then we hook that up to a spreader bar and then that goes on to an excavator,” Macclesfield Fire Brigade Captain Sharon Merritt said.
“We used an excavator that they had on site, and then we got the vet to sedate the horse because it’s very stressful for them, and we don’t want them thrashing around while we’re trying to get them out because it gets too dangerous.
“The horse was slightly sedated, and then we use the excavator to lift it out of the pit and onto the ground where I think it had one cut on its leg, which while it was sedated, the vet dressed and bandaged.”
Leaving the scene with Jack walking around with the vet and his owner by his said, Ms Merritt said the prognosis was “pretty good”.
“It’s very satisfying, we always like to see them recover”
Ms Merritt said Macclesfield Fire Brigade is called out to around 15 large animal rescues a year, being one of the two brigades in the state with the necessary equipment.
One of these rescues included 38-year-old gelding Kamir, which got stuck in a drain on a Monbulk property in June 2022.
“It varies a lot, and it’s not just horses…sometimes we do cows, we do alpacas, we’ve had camels, so pretty much any large animal,” Ms Merritt said.
“They get stuck in ditches, stuck in mud, in septic tanks.
“I like a successful one…they’re not always successful”
