Horse successfully rescued from ditch in Jerusalem Hills

The rider managed to extricate himself from the pit, but the horse remained stuck.

 Horse stuck in pit in Jerusalem Hills (photo credit: FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE)
Horse stuck in pit in Jerusalem Hills
(photo credit: FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE)

Jerusalem District Fire and Rescue teams succeeded in rescuing a horse that fell into a pit near Beit Meir in the Jerusalem Hills, Israel’s Fire and Rescue Service announced on Thursday.

A report was received on Thursday via the 102 emergency hotline that a rider had fallen into a pit.

The rider managed to extricate himself from the pit, but the horse remained stuck.

Multiple rescue teams from Beit Shemesh, including the Fire Station’s special rescue unit, were dispatched to the scene. The teams were coordinating efforts with emergency services to ensure a safe and effective rescue operation.

According to the spokesperson, firefighters worked to expand the pit using manual and mechanical tools to facilitate the horse’s safe extraction.

 Large shire horse rescued from ditch in north Devon 15 February 2023 (credit: Rob Cude/Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Servic)
Large shire horse rescued from ditch in north Devon 15 February 2023 (credit: Rob Cude/Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Servic)

Horse rescue

Rescuing a horse from a ditch or pit often requires specialist rescue equipment, as seen in a similar rescue in Devon in the UK in 2023.

In the Devon rescue, the horse was sedated, after which fire crews worked with a digger to remove some of the ditch wall in order to gain better access to the horse, the BBC reported at the time.