Dive team, firefighters work to rescue 4 horses out of icy Michigan pond
Four horses were successfully rescued after they fell into an icy pond Sunday morning in southern Michigan, local authorities said.
The Calhoun County Sheriff's Office said the horses had escaped from their enclosure and wandered onto an ice-covered pond at Turtle Creek Golf Course, which is a public golf course in Newton Township near Burlington. The ice gave way beneath them, and the animals were trapped in the shallow water.
Fire departments and specialty teams that were called to work with deputies at the scene included the Calhoun County Area Law Enforcement Underwater Rescue Team (also known as ALURT Dive Team), Burlington Fire Department, East Leroy Township Fire Department, Newton Township Fire Department and Union City Fire Department.
The response was coordinated by the Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority.
The ALURT Dive Team members got into the water and worked with the firefighters to manually pull each horse out of the pond.
"Through coordinated efforts and careful handling, all four horses were successfully rescued," deputies said.
The horses received further attention and treatment once on shore, and no injuries were reported among the first responders.