Many rescuers — both professionals and bystanders — waded into the historic flooding in Houston, Texas, Monday to help rescue dozens of the more than 70 horses trapped in the rising water.
VIDEO: Volunteers swim out to save another horse from Cypress Creek. @KHOU pic.twitter.com/wC83SbCC4h
— Rekha Muddaraj (@RekhaKHOU) April 18, 2016
People driving by the road near the flooding, which was reportedly reaching the tops of roofs in some places, yelled encouragement to the struggling horses trying got keep their heads above water, according to KHOU-TV. But it wasn’t long before locals started getting out of their cars to help the animals.
Many residents spent hours wading in the water near Harris County to help the stranded horses.
“For those of you that may have seen the news reports of horses trapped in the water at Cypress Trails Equestrian Center,” Harris County Judge Ed Emmett wrote in a statement, ”all but a few of the horses have been rescued or have been seen on higher ground. 3 or 4 are still loose but don’t appear to be in grave danger.”
When news first broke of the horses that were trapped and tangled up in the fences at the Cypress Trails Equestrian Center, the Internet responded with some outrage.
“If I were out there I would insist they save the horses first,” one commenter wrote on a 30-minute Facebook video of the ordeal posted by Spring Happenings.
“I have lived by this stables for 20 years. They move the horses EVERY TIME there is a flood,” another wrote. “They didn’t move them because we were only expecting 8 inches of rain which wouldn’t flood the property but we got 16 inches last night that they didn’t expect.”
