Firefighters Pull Horse From Construction Pit

With the help of a 40-ton crane and a band of firefighters, a horse was hoisted to safety Tuesday after tumbling into a construction pit in its owner’s yard.

The horse, a 4-year-old appaloosa named Lucy, broke away from its owner during a walk through the yard and headed for an area that was under excavation for a pipe-laying project, said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The animal fell into a six-foot-deep trench after stepping onto a plywood cover that couldn’t support the weight.

The 2:08 p.m. mishap sent neighbors, firefighters, reporters and a veterinarian to the 10700 block of Art Street, a semirural area where many people keep horses. Fire officials asked helicopter news crews hovering over the scene to keep their distance to avoid further frightening the horse.

“Lucy was unsettled,” Humphrey said. “She became quite agitated, so firefighters joined the owner in petting her and giving her comfort.” The vet, meanwhile, lightly sedated the jittery horse.

Lucy’s freedom was won 25 minutes later after firefighters dug a ramp alongside the trench, strapped Lucy’s hindquarters into a makeshift sling attached to the crane and gave the horse a boost.

“She appeared to be a little wobbly, but soon was her old self,” Humphrey reported.