By Lyonel Doherty, Times-Chronicle
An 18-year-old quarter horse named “Lulu” is recovering thanks to a complex rescue by the Willowbrook Fire Department on Feb. 2.
Diane, a local resident, contacted the Times-Chronicle commending Fire Chief Tony Iannella and his team for pulling out all the stops to save Lulu from certain death after she slipped on ice and became trapped between a barn, a pole and a fence.
“Without them it would have been impossible for her to survive,” the owner said, praising the department for its expertise gained through a committed training regime.
Lulu apparently lost her footing on some ice and took a tumble, ending up on her side between a feed box (frozen into the ground), a barn, and some fence posts.
Diane said the horse was lifeless when she found her, guessing that Lulu was trapped there for hours during the night.
She called her neighbour to assist but they couldn’t free the animal. That’s when she decided to call the fire department.
“They (firefighters) didn’t give up. The fire chief was extremely aware and caring for the horse . . . he was so level-headed during the crisis,” Diane said.
Iannella told the Times-Chronicle that Lulu was unresponsive when they arrived.
“We kept the horse wrapped in a blanket while rubbing her to get blood flowing and to keep her awake while we chiseled the feed box out of the frozen ground and chain-sawed one of the posts, giving space for us to attempt to manipulate her.”
With the assistance of a neighbour, the crew put a halter on Lulu’s head and pulled gently to coax her forward while attempting to lift her head and neck to prompt her to stand.
Iannella said they had many concerns in attempting the rescue as there wasn’t much room to manoeuvre on the frozen ground with the 635kg horse wedged in between the obstacles.
“But the team did a great job of removing some of the obstacles while minimizing the risks, and ultimately, we were able to get her to her feet and walking around again,” the chief said. “It was a great feeling for the crew to save a life that was so close to death.”
Diane reiterated the stellar performance of the crew, saying their expertise rivals the knowledge of any big city fire department.
As for Lulu, she’s not out of the woods yet. After the rescue, she still couldn’t walk, but a day after she was taking “baby steps,” Diane said.
“It’s minute by minute . . . I’ve been up every hour of the night (monitoring her).”
