Flash flooding in Houston, Texas trapped between 70 to 80 horses at the Cypress Trails Horse Stables in 2016. The water came up so fast they couldn’t get trailers in to get the animals out.
As result, many of the horses were struggling in the high flood waters and became tangled in submerged fences. But a group of rescuers braved the waters to save the animals and their heroic efforts were caught on camera.
Emergency responders tried to reach the horses, and in some cases horse owners and bystanders jumped into the water to help the horses make it out and to dry land! As one rescuer said, “These aren’t just horses, they’re part of the family…” Miraculously, the Office of Emergency Management reported no casualties.
Here are some of the dramatic rescues captured on video by reporters and people on the scene.
One young girl, Devon Horn, donned a lifejacket and went into the water to save her horse and the two were swept down river by the strong currents. When they emerged from the water safely, a reporter asked her “How do you get a spooked horse to cooperate with you in chest high water?”
She said that you have to convince them your idea is the best, which was difficult because the horse was half blind and “real stubborn”. She said he was fighting her because he thought he could get them out of the water the best, but eventually she said “we figured it out together”. You can see more of their rescue in the video below.
In this longer video, a reporter arrives on the scene to see many of the horses struggling to keep their heads above water. One horse is near drowning (at 2:31) mark, his head slowly submerging under the water. It’s harrowing to watch, but luckily the horse finds the strength to pull himself free.
Other reporters caught dramatic footage of the rescue of some horses scrambling to dry land.
Rescuers working furiously to rescue horses along Cypress Creek @HoustonChron #houwx #houstonflood #horses pic.twitter.com/Ldgdu4BZdp
— Mark Mulligan (@mrkmully) April 18, 2016
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