New Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service team saves horses
Four horses have been rescued by a new Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service team in its first week of operation.
The service recently invested £1,500 in new equipment, including technical rescue straps, slings and harnesses.
A horse trapped in a six-feet deep drainage ditch near Wotton-under-Edge was one successful rescue by the team, which specialises in large animals.
Over the past year, the service has rescued 40 large animals including cattle, horses, pigs, and sheep.
The majority of animals have been trapped in machinery, bogs, rivers, pools and ditches, or have been victims of road traffic collisions.
Three horses were rescued by the team after being involved in an incident in Cirencester, where one of the horses became trapped after falling through the floor of its horsebox.
"These were our first real rescues using new equipment and it was a good opportunity to put all of the training into practice," said Steve Bateman, animal rescue specialist at the fire service.
The new team and the specialist equipment are based at Gloucester North community fire station.