A mare and a smaller horse who might be her foal were rescued Thursday night after becoming stuck in deep mud in Monterey County — in an area south of Salinas where significant debris flows occurred during this week's storms.
As KPIX reports, the horse and pony/foal were discovered by their owners mired in chest-deep mud late Wednesday, on Limekiln Road, off River Road, near where we saw mud flows damage houses. What followed was an 18-hour ordeal to dig the animals out of the muck — an effort that involved help from the Hayward, Fremont, Alameda, Fresno, Marina and Monterey County fire departments, along with the Monterey County Public Works Department.
"It definitely took a village to get these horses out,” said Beth Brookhouser, spokesperson for the Monterey County SPCA.
The Fremont Fire Department posted photos of the very muddy horses finally being pulled out on Thursday. Reportedly both were shivering for hours, but they were reportedly recovering on Friday and eating and drinking. Both animals were treated overnight on Thursday by Steinbeck Country Equine Clinic veterinarians.
A well-coordinated & cautious effort from @Cal_OES Strike Team #XAL2870C w/ @HaywardFireNews @OaklandFireCA @AlamedaCoFire & @FremontFire, a @marinaFD54 Branch Director & @SPCAmc resulted in the rescue of a horse on the afternoon of 1/28. RAW VIDEO: https://t.co/2aqhyfBxJK #CAwx pic.twitter.com/79qv1cg2zF
— Fremont Fire Department (@FremontFire) January 29, 2021
Thanks to a careful & coordinated effort from @Cal_OES Strike Team #XAL2870C w/ @HaywardFireNews @OaklandFireCA @AlamedaCoFire & @FremontFire, a @marinaFD54 Branch Director & @SPCAmc, a horse and pony were rescued on the afternoon of Thurs., 1/28. VIDEO: https://t.co/i9OrGNs22E pic.twitter.com/LelVdNG5Dg
— Fremont Fire Department (@FremontFire) January 29, 2021
According to @SPCAmc, a horse and a pony were rescued after being stuck in mud for up to 18 hours. They were found on Limekiln Road in unincorporated Salinas, off of River Road. The area experienced a debris flow from the River Fire burn scar that trapped the two equines. pic.twitter.com/W81RkSWSwK
— Tom Wright (@WrightScribe) January 29, 2021
Debris flows were heavy starting on Tuesday night in this area of River Road south of Salinas, downslope of the River Fire burn scar.
As the Salinas Californian reported Thursday, a major cleanup is underway at multiple ranches in the area, which were inundated with mud flows. A reported 20 to 25 homes and outbuildings were damaged by debris flows in the last several days.
Video below from KION shows the cleanup that began Wednesday after the first debris flows from Tuesday's rain.
