Dramatic video shows "drowning and exhausted" horse being rescued from Florida retention pond

A "drowning and exhausted" horse was rescued from a retention pond in northern Florida on Tuesday. Dramatic video from the Alachua County Sheriff's Office shows first responders on the scene, where police say they dove into the pond to help get the massive animal out. 

In the animal rescue video, the horse is seen lying on his side on the edge of the pond, clearly struggling.

The sheriff's office said the horse was "drowning and exhausted" when they arrived on the scene and that Alachua County Fire Rescue responders "dove into the pond to stabilize the horse and hold his head above water, as the rest of the team formulated a plan." 

"ASO Rural Services was equipped with a winch, and created a harness out of a 6-inch wide strap," the office wrote on Facebook. "Once everyone was in position, they pulled the horse to safety using a forward assist technique." 

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In the video, officials are seen sliding a board under the horse to help slide the animal out. And once he's successfully removed, the video shows the horse lying on the ground recovering with a cloth over his eyes. Then he suddenly jolted up, and officials were able to guide him away from the pond. 

"That a boy. You don't gotta get up," the person filming is heard saying as the horses rises to his feet, "...let's get away from that water, buddy." 

Police said the horse was responsive and "after some time regained its strength." 

"The horse was reunited with its owner, and appeared to have no injuries," they added. 

In:
• Florida
• Animal Rescue

Li Cohen

Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.