Cupcake, a 13-year-old horse, was rescued Thursday afternoon by the South Metro Fire Rescue team after she sank and fell into muddy water along a marshy trail at Cherry Creek State Park.
Her owner, whose name was not released, estimated that Cupcake fell around 1 p.m., but because of the location of her fall it took until 3:30 p.m. before the owner was able to get help.
Rescuers arrived within five minutes of the call, said Eric Hurst, a South Metro Fire Rescue spokesman, but it took the rescue team of nearly 15 people around 20 minutes to trek, with all of their gear, the 400 yards from where they parked to where Cupcake was stuck.
Hurst said when the rescuers first arrived, the area didn’t look to dangerous or deep. But as the team got closer, the water was knee-deep in most of the area and even waist-deep in some places. Cupcake fell in a wooded and marshy area along a path that had been flooded with rainwater, Hurst added.
By the time the crew was able to start trying to get Cupcake to stand, she was exhausted. Her veterinarian came and administered intravenous fluids with vitamins, steroids and anti-inflammatory medication to give her energy and pain relief to help her stand.
Her owner, the fire rescue team, employees from 12 Mile Stables in the park and a half-dozen Cherry Creek park rangers participated in the rescue.
“It was good practice for our rescuers,” Hurst said. “They get to use their gear and their knowledge in a less-stressful situation than if it were a person.”
Cupcake was not injured, and she is now in the care of her owner and vet.
