Police officers heroically helped rescued a horse in distress after it fell into an icy pond, body cam footage of the incident shows.
Body cam footage from the Saratoga Springs Police Department in upstate New York shows the terrifying situation, as the distressed horse, a 22-year-old quarter horse named Sly, thrashes in the water. The video notes that Kyle Clinton was the first officer on the scene, followed by officer Dom Martuscello.
They, along with the horse’s owner Ali Ernst, try to pull Sly out of the pond with a rope.
“Come on buddy. Come on,” on officer says as they worked to rescue the horse. Audio also picks up on one saying, “Come on baby, you got this.”
Others — including neighbors and more officers — joined the effort to rescue Sly, and eventually, he was back on land standing up.
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According to reports, Sly had fallen through the ice while playing with other horses. Ernst took him to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, and he was hypothermic but has since recovered.
“I was losing the battle to keep him above water alone,” she said, according to Fox News. “I threw all the rope in the hole and just started pulling it back in sheer hopes that I caught a hind leg, and I did, and we all just started to pull.”
The Saratoga Springs Police Department also posted about the incident, which took place Monday, February 24. It notes that the horse was “in imminent danger of freezing to death.”
“Patrol Division officers were sent to the call and immediately began rescue efforts upon arrival. Officer Kyle Clinton was first on scene and began to assist the owner in pulling the horse out with a rope. Officers Kris Camarro and Dominic Martuscello arrived shortly after Officer Clinton and immediately began helping to pull the horse out of the water,” it continued, adding that, as a team they were able to rescue the horse from the frozen pond.
“The determined effort, strength and teamwork displayed by our officers serve as an excellent example of the character this department observes among its personnel on a daily basis,” SSPD continued,
“We are proud of their work and are grateful for the opportunity to share this incident with the Saratoga Springs community,” it continued. “Please join us in congratulating them on a job well done.”
