While Div. Chief David Rankin is well-known for his many water rescues in Seaside, this was his first large animal rescue.

After a horse wandered into a ditch, Seaside Fire and Rescue responded to a call from the Knappa Fire District to bring the animal to safety.

Early last Friday morning the horse wandered to a pasture that was supposed to be closed and fell into a drainage ditch, Rankin said. “It got in the ditch, walked forward, got stuck and couldn’t get out.”

Knappa Fire received the call from the horse’s owner in John Day at 7 a.m., and Seaside Fire and Rescue responded to a request for assistance, joining the effort at about 9:30 a.m. Friday, Rankin said. A large animal veterinarian was also on scene. “We ended up using a tractor and some straps, dug down a little bit and we were able to pull it out.”

She was tired, but healthy. “Once we got her out, all the way clear, she was fine,” he said. “They started feeding her right away.”

He praised the work of both Knappa and Seaside firefighters.

“Even though Knappa’s an hour drive away from us, we all work together for fires. It only makes sense they called us. Our mutual aid system works well.”