Extricate

Yell County Mounted Patrol extricate horse from trailer on Hwy 27 South

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• published: 27 Dec 2014
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Just after 3 p.m. on Friday, December 26, the Yell County Mounted Patrol was requested to respond to the area of 23699 Highway 27 South, approximately three miles outside of Dardanelle, after a rollover accident involving a horse trailer had occurred. At the time of the crash, two horses were being transported along Highway 27 South out of Dardanelle. While the trailer was being pulled, the trailer became disconnected from the truck. When the trailer separated, it flipped several times in a ditch along Highway 27 South. When the trailer came to rest, the male horse was able to exit the trailer on his own without suffering serious injury, but a female horse was partially ejected through the side door of trailer pinning her front leg under the trailer. The Yell County Mounted Patrol was requested by Yell County dispatchers after the accident occurred and the entrapment of the horse was discovered. Yell County Mounted Patrol personnel arrived on scene and joined the Yell County Sheriff's Office and the Dardanelle Rural Fire Department and began a technical and complicated extrication in order to free the horse. As rescue efforts were initiated, rescue personnel worked carefully to cut away the wall slats of the trailer, avoiding the horse's legs as they were stuck out of the trailer's slats. Additional Yell County Mounted Patrol members worked from the inside of the flipped trailer, next to the injured horse, and remained with her as efforts continued. While the extrication was being performed, members of the Yell County Mounted Patrol were accompanied by Dr. Chris Merritt, DVM of the Merritt Animal Clinic in Dardanelle and Dr. John Davis, DVM of Davis Veterinary Service also located in Dardanelle. Both veterinarians responded to the scene and administered medication to keep the horse sedated. They also monitored her condition while the Yell County Mounted Patrol worked on freeing her from the trailer. After approximately 45 minutes, extrication efforts were successful and the horse was freed from the trailer. Thanks to volunteers who remained on scene during the rescue, two tractors were provided to assist with the efforts. In order to extricate the horse, the Yell County Mounted Patrol used multiple techniques with rescue tools and rescue airbags and were able to cut out the wall that the horse was lying on. After the panel under the horse was cut away, the trailer was lifted up and away from the horse. Yell County Mounted Patrol members used the tractors provided by the volunteers to lift the rest of the trailer off of the horse. Rescuers pulled the horse away from the trailer using ropes and through the use manpower and one of the tractors, the horse was moved. Dr. Merritt and Dr. Davis sat with her and began evaluating the seriousness of her injuries. After evaluating her, the veterinarians determined that she had sustained only minor cuts on her legs that appeared to have only cut the skin and had not damaged any muscles, and luckily her legs had not been fractured in the incident as previously feared. Dr. Merritt and Dr. Davis began to stir the horse from the sedation in attempts to get her to stand. After some time passed, her head was uncovered and she stood up on her own appearing dazed. Moments later, she began walking and interacting with her owners. While on scene, River Valley Leader learned that the trapped horse's name is Daisy and according to the latest information shared with RVL, Daisy is doing great. Following the removal of the wrecked trailer, Daisy and her male partner were reunited, loaded into another horse trailer by their caregivers and transported from the scene.