Trappe Fire & EMS wishes to express their deepest sympathy to the owners of "Charm" who succumbed to frigid cold and injuries sustained over the weekend.
The Fire Company was asked to assist some local residents in rescuing one of their horses stuck in the snow and mud in a field on their farm. Upon arrival with Engine 77, TAC 77, Traffic 77 and several FFs and officers, they found the horse stuck in thick mud at the edge of a creek bed on the owner's farm. She had been injured in a fall as well and had an 8" laceration to her hind quarters making her ability to stand near impossible.
The horse, named Charm, had been stuck since 0630 that day and had gotten out only to get stuck again. By mid afternoon, the owners and the fire company were running out of ideas of what to do. A veterinarian was brought in from Quakertown to assist. Additionally, Dpty Chief 324, was asked to come in to provide guidance has he has raised horses all his life back in WV.
Crews worked hard to shimmy the horse out of the edge of the water and on to an old carpet. The veterinarian, assisted by Dpty Chief 324, started an IV line through the horse's jugular vein and provided pain meds and warm saline solution. Numerous attempts were made to shift the horse from one side to the next in hopes that blood flow to the extremities would be possible and eventually she could stand on her own. After several hours, the crew was able to get Charm up, standing on all fours supported by long 2x4s, held by the fire fighters.
The crew eventually got Charm turned around in a direction towards where they needed her to walk to get back to the barn- about a 200' distance. Eventually charm's legs could no longer maintain her own weight and she began to fall. The 2x4s eventually broke, leaving the FF's with little options. There was no avenue of approach to bring the TAC truck in to utilize the winch in an effort to tow some sort of make shift sled- the distance was too far and the terrain impassible.
After several failed attempts the veterinarian stopped the operation and told the crew, they had done all they could. The 77 crews backed away from Charm so the owner could come in and pay her last respects before she was euthanized on site. The crews returned to their station disappointed at the obstacle they couldn't overcome.
