Anyone who has ever been by an ocean knows that it can be unexpected. One thing you should never underestimate is the tide; it can be rather hazardous if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The tide can suddenly sweep people and animals away in a matter of seconds, and in certain cases, it can cause a protracted and horrific death. This was dangerously close to what 18-year-old horse Astro had come to.
On the beach near Geelong, Australia, which is south of Melbourne, Nicole Graham, the owner of Astro, was riding her daughter’s horse. But after a while, the ground beneath the horses turned into a muddy death trap, and they were on soft sand.
Nicole and Astro got more caught up in the mud, but her child and her horse managed to escape. Astro was soon entirely encased in clay and in danger of choking. For three hours, Nicole fought alongside Astro as they battled for their life.
The longer Astro remained in the ground, the worse his situation got. In order to keep her 1,000-pound (450-kg) horse from being deeper enmeshed in the mud, Nicole had to keep him calm during this time. After three hours, Astro was on the edge of suffocation and may have died of hunger and weariness. In addition, high tide was coming.
Fortunately, Nicole’s daughter was able to locate safety and contact for assistance. A rescue team and a veterinarian eventually arrived at the scene. To prevent him from panicking, the veterinarian administered a tranquillizing shot to Astro. Nicole remained by Astro’s side the entire time, talking to him to reassure him. Even when a helicopter was contacted, it was unable to assist Astro because he was so deeply buried in the muck that it was not practical to tie a rope around him and drag him to safety.
Nicole began to worry about the worst as the rescue crew struggled to extract Astro as the river approached. The team tried to pull the horse, but the ground was too soft and had turned to quicksand.
A farmer with a rope attached to his car made a last-ditch effort to free the horse when he drew up on his tractor.
Then a miracle occurred: Astro was successfully pulled out of the muck by Nicole, the rescuers, and the farmer.
