THE owners of a pony that last month survived a 5m fall into a well recently thanked the Welshpool fire fighters, veterinarians and local people who helped rescue her.
On Tuesday, January 31, Taylor (10) and her mum Sara Pescud went to the Orange Grove paddock, where three-year-old pony Lucy stays, to feed her.
But surprisingly, the pony did not come when called. Then Taylor noticed the gate of the fenced well, which is inside Lucy’s paddock, had been left open. Taylor ran to the well, with Mrs Pescud calling out for her to stop.
“I screamed at her because I did not want her falling into the well or to see the pony in a really bad way,” Ms Pescud told the Times.
But to both Taylor and Ms Pescud’s delight, Lucy looked fine.
“And then I thought: how on earth am I going to get her out of there,” Ms Pescud said.
“How she didn’t break bones… how she was still alive, I’ll never know.”
Welshpool career firefighters and two veterinarians were contacted to help, while Neville Croke organised a crane and Rebecca Slavel supported Ms Pescud.
Incident controller, Station Officer Bernie Kinney, explained Lucy’s rescue.
“We at first lowered a thermal imaging camera and then an air monitor into the well,” Station Officer Kinney told the Times.
“From there we determined she was moving and in good condition,
“We then lowered a vet and fire fighter into the well.”
Lucy was assessed and anaesthetised before being placed in a large sling. A crane was then used to lift her, upside down, out of the well.
Ms Pescud said words were not enough to thank all involved, including semi-retired Armadale equine vet Charlie Stewart and Paul O’Callaghan.
“The fire fighters, vets and locals were absolutely amazing,” she said.
Taylor said she knew that if Lucy had been injured seriously she would have had to be put down.
“I would like to say thank you for saving Lucy and I’m really glad that she is all right,” Taylor said.
Station Officer Kinney said the rescue was certainly different from his usual shift assignments.
“When we got the pony out of the well, there was a feeling of amazement,” he said.
It took three hours, from 7.30pm to 10.30pm, to lift the 350kg pony out of the well.
To see and hear video footage of the rescue go to: http://www.inmy|community.com.au/news-and-views/videos/Pony-Rescue/8912/