Anyone who has ever been near the water understands how unpredictable it can be. One thing you should never underestimate is the tide; it may be dangerous if you’re in the wrong spot at the wrong time.
The tide may surprise and consume humans and animals in a matter of seconds, and in rare situations, it can cause a protracted and painful d3ath. This is virtually exactly what happened to Astro, an 18-year-old horse.
Nicole Graham, Astro’s owner, and her daughter were riding their horses on the beach at Geelong, south of Melbourne, Australia. However, after a while, the horses found themselves on soft sand, and the ground underneath them became a muddy d3ath trap.
The longer Astro stayed in the mud, the more dire the situation became. Nicole had to keep her 1,000-pound (450 kg) horse calm to prevent him from sliding further into the muck. Astro was on the verge of suffocating after three hours and faced the threat of d3ath from dehydration and exhaustion. In addition, the tide was coming in.
Fortunately, Nicole’s kid was able to get to safety and contact for assistance. Finally, a rescue squad and a veterinarian arrived on the site. To calm Astro down, the veterinarian injected him with a tranquilizer. Nicole remained with Astro throughout the experience, speaking to him to keep him calm. A helicopter was also sent, but it was unable to aid since Astro was stuck so deeply in the muck that it was difficult to put a rope around him and hoist him to safety.
The rescue crew tried to extract Astro, and Nicole began to dread the worst as the flood rose. The crew attempted to dig out the horse, but the earth had become like quicksand and was too soft.
Then, a farmer arrived on his tractor and attempted to liberate the horse with a rope hooked to his vehicle.
That’s when the miracle occurred — Nicole, the rescue workers and the farmer managed to free Astro from the mud.
