Emergency responders aid animals in trouble

A horse is helped to get out of a frozen pond, after having fallen through several inches of ice.
A horse is helped to get out of a frozen pond, after having fallen through several inches of ice.

Emergency responders in the area went to aid a horse that had fallen through the ice in a pond on East Railroad Road, near McGirk. That event was Wednesday, Jan. 20. On Thursday, Jan. 21, a cow was assisted from a similar situation south of California.

Regarding the horse, the Moniteau County 911 call came in about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. When the City of California Fire Department (CFD), called to assist the California Rural Fire Protection District (CRFPD), arrived on the scene, the horse was standing on the bottom, neck deep in the icy pond. The horse was about 50 feet from the pond bank unable to get out because of the ice, which was two or three inches thick.

According to Kurt Bleich, CFD Training Officer, Andrew Geiser, aided by Jay Fortner, donned cold water/ice rescue suits and chopped a path in the ice from the horse to the pond bank. The operation took less than an hour, and the horse, reported to be named Lily, was able to walk out.

The Versailles Rural Fire Protection District (VRFPD) was called, since that department has experience with and equipment for large animal rescues. The VRFPD, which responded, but was called off before reaching the rescue site, provided instructions on the phone to help deal with the situation.

The incident with the cow occurred the next day. Once again, the CFD was dispatched at 2:34 p.m. to assist California Rural (CRFPD) for a cow that had fallen through the ice in a pond on Highway 87 south of California.

CFD once again requested the Versailles RFPD for mutual aid because of the district's experience and equipment for large animal rescues. The district personnel provided assistance in removal of the cow from the pond.

The California Veterinary Clinic responded to both rescues. For the horse rescue, Roger Borgmeyer, DVM, responded to the scene to check out the animal's condition. He reported the horse was eating hay and appeared to be in good condition. For the cow rescue, the animal was checked out by Mark Oerly, DVM. The California Fire Department asks that livestock owners consider restricting access to ice covered ponds and lakes this time of year, if possible. Also, please remember to never let children play around ice covered ponds or lakes. Borgmeyer commented that large animals such as cattle and horses will not ordinarily go out on ice, but if the ice is covered by snow, they don't realize it until they break through.

The Moniteau County Sheriff's Office and Mid-Mo Ambulance also responded and were on the scene to aid in both incidents.