NYC police officers rescue horse stuck in muddy waters

NEW YORK — This was not horseplay.

>> Read more trending news

Members of the New York Police Department worked quickly to rescue a horse that got stuck in muddy waters on Friday.

The rescue happened on Orchard Beach, located in the borough of the Bronx, WCBS-TV reported. The 115-acre beach fronts the Long Island Sound.

According to police, the horse and its rider got stuck in the mud while riding near the shore. The 17-year-old horse, named Bear, was trapped in mud up to his chest, WABC-TV reported.

A friend of the horse’s owner, identified only as Madison, told the television station that the horse bolted unexpectedly into the water.

“I guess something spooked him and he ran off and then he ran out to the water and kept going because he got scared,” Madison told WABC. “It was going on for about two hours, we were waiting a very long time and then finally they came to the rescue.”

The police department’s special operations unit used some horse sense, employing a rescue glide and placing it under the frightened animal, WCBS reported.

The officers were able to pull Bear to stable ground and get him to stand upright, according to the television station. He received medical attention but did not appear to suffer any major injuries, police said.

“I was shocked, I thought it was a miracle, I thought he was really hurt,” Madison told WABC. “We are just really happy the horse is OK.”