A herd of horses have been rescued from rising floodwaters in Ballina, following a daring rescue operation by the Australian Outback Spectacular team.
After hearing 23 horses were stranded in waist-deep water on a property in Ballina, the team put together a rescue plan with help from Sea World Helicopters.
“We had been in contact with the property owner who advised the horses had been stranded for two days without fresh water and access to food, so we knew we had to act quickly if we were a chance of saving them,” Australian Outback Spectacular General Manager Shane Phillips said.
“We gathered a team of eight of our most experienced stockmen and women and our equine vet and thanks to the help of Sea World Helicopters were able to travel to the location in good time and start the delicate task of walking the horses to safety.
“Initially we had some concerns the horses would not want to move as they had been standing still for so long but after an initial vet check and some medications, we were able to begin the journey which was a lot trickier than we first anticipated.
“We timed the operation to align with low-tide but there were still some areas of the crossing where the water was waist-to-neck deep and our team were leading two-four animals at a time, but thankfully the horses were all cooperative and were just as relieved as we were to see the higher ground.”
The horses are now safely located on higher ground on a neighbouring property.
“While these weather events are always tragic, it is great to see the community come together to help each other and with our resources and experience we were glad to be able to do our part and get these horses to safety.”
See footage of the rescue below:
