Anyone who has ever been near the ocean understands how unpredictable it can be. One thing you should never underestimate is the tide; it can be dangerous if you’re in the wrong spot at the wrong time.
The tide can surprise and consume humans and animals in a matter of seconds, and in rare situations, it can cause a slow and painful death. This is virtually exactly what happened to Astro, an 18-year-old horse.
Nicole Graham, Astro’s owner, and her daughter were riding their horses on the beach near Geelong, south of Melbourne, Australia. However, after a while, the horses found themselves on soft sand, and the ground underneath them became a muddy death trap.
Nicole’s kid and her horse were able to escape, but she and Astro sunk further into the mud. Astro was soon up to his neck in clay, running the risk of choking to death. Nicole fought alongside Astro for three hours in a life-or-death battle.
The longer Astro stayed in the mud, the more desperate the situation became. Nicole had to keep her 1,000-pound (450 kg) horse calm to prevent him from sliding deeper into the mud. Astro was on the verge of suffocating after three hours and faced the threat of death from dehydration and exhaustion. In addition, the tide was coming in.
Fortunately, Nicole’s kid was able to get to safety and contact for assistance. Finally, a rescue squad and a veterinarian arrived on the site. To calm Astro down, the veterinarian injected him with a tranquilizer. Nicole remained with Astro throughout the experience, speaking to him to keep him calm. A helicopter was also sent, but it was unable to aid since Astro was stuck so deeply in the muck that it was difficult to put a rope around him and hoist him to safety.
The rescue team tried to extract Astro, and Nicole began to fear the worst as the flood rose. The team attempted to dig out the horse, but the earth had become like quicksand and was too soft.
Then, a farmer arrived on his tractor and attempted to liberate the horse with a rope hooked to his vehicle.
That’s when the miracle happened: Nicole, the rescue crew, and the farmer managed to extricate Astro from the muck.
Nicole has ten horses and often rides them along the beach, but this was the first time one of them became trapped.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly this time, but this anecdote demonstrates that it doesn’t hurt to be extra cautious.
Above all, this narrative demonstrates the wonderful love that exists between a human and his or her animals, as well as how that link may truly bring about miracles!
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