Rescue mission underway for horse trapped in neck-deep sinkhole in San Fernando Valley
A horse remained trapped in neck-deep soil in a San Fernando Valley backyard Wednesday afternoon — now stuck for more than three hours — after a sinkhole almost swallowed the animal, according to officials responding to the scene.
More than 60 firefighters are working to rescue the 20-year-old Paso Fino horse named “Lucky,” bringing in heavy equipment to try to finish the “swift but delicate rescue effort,” according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
“We’re hoping that she lives up to her name,” said LAFD Capt. Erik Scott.
As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, Scott said officials were still working to safely pull out the horse, which appeared to be standing up beneath what officials described as soft soil. The horse, weighing an estimated 1,200 pounds, became trapped around noon in Lake View Terrace near Sylmar.
Firefighters, working with officials from the city’s Department of Animal Services, brought in an excavator to try to remove soil from around the horse, and were waiting on a truck with an industrial vacuum to ensure that removed soil doesn’t continue to envelop the horse, Scott said.
They had been working with hand tools, such as shovels and straps to try to remove the horse.
Officials said Lucky remained “conscious and alert in minimal to moderate distress,” officials said.
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