Horse falls into pit: complex rescue operation ends tragically

Schwechat - Despite an elaborate rescue operation, a horse involved in an accident could not be saved from death.

Despite all efforts, the horse did not survive the fall into a pit.
Despite all efforts, the horse did not survive the fall into a pit.  © Facebook/Freiwillige Feuerwehr Schwechat

Firefighters were alerted to a fallen horse in the Austrian town of Schwechat on Tuesday evening.

The hoofed animal had fallen into a pit inside a riding stable at around 6.30 pm, as the volunteer fire department announced on Facebook.

In order to rescue the injured animal from its predicament, the roof of the riding stable was first opened to allow a cable winch through.

The horse was then attached to special straps and carefully pulled out of the hole in the ground under the supervision of the vets present.

However, the rescue operation was ultimately unsuccessful: although the horse could be lifted out of the pit, its injuries were too severe. It died on the spot.