Helicpoter Airlifts Horse From Hole

This is the moment a trapped horse is airlifted out of a 13-foot hole by a Spanish rescue helicopter.

The incident took place on Branavalera mountain in the municipality of Lena in the northern Spanish region of Asturias on 4th August.

A spokesperson for the emergency services told Real Press that the 400-kilogramme (63-stone) horse “must have been distracted” when it fell down a four-metre (13-foot) hole.

The horses’ owner, whose name has not been disclosed, called the emergency services who promptly arrived on the scene.

The rescue team was also accompanied by a vet who is seen wearing blue overalls and a yellow hard hat in the images.

In the Fire Brigade footage obtained by Real Press, the trapped horse is seen being airlifted out of the hole by a rescue helicopter.

The emergency services spokesperson told Real Press: “It was decided, for its own safety, that the horse had to be sedated but not completely otherwise it would have been difficult to attach the harness.”

The vet lowered himself into the hole to sedate the horse while firefighters cut back the trees and overgrowth so the horse could be easily airlifted out.

The spokesperson told Real Press: “Firefighters spent two hours cutting back the trees covering the hole.”

The rescue operation reportedly took around five and a half hours overall and the horse was successfully returned to its owner who thanked the rescue team for their efforts.