A chilling rescue: neighbours pull together to rescue horse trapped in freezing water

News — 27 October 2010

Bryan and Jennifer Bakos with Mr. Mist, who has staged a full recovery. The photo's background features the three acre pond where the ordeal took place.

The lengths people will go to save the life of a horse says a lot about the relationship between members of our two species.

Jennifer and Bryan Bakos were put to such test at 7 a.m., Oct. 18, when they found an older member of their stables, Mr. Mist, stuck out in near-freezing waters.

Jennifer Bakos says they suspect wolves chased the horse into the three-acre pond on their Wabigoon Lake Rd. farm.

Breaking ice to reach the horse, in temperatures that had dipped as low as -2 degrees celcius overnight, Jennifer says the animal was already hypothermic and unresponsive.

“He was about 20 feet away from shore,” said Jennifer. “The worst part was that his legs were all tangled around stumps. He was in the mud up to his neck. I was in the water with him holding his head out of the water. It was quite emotional. After having this horse for 23 years, it was quite an ordeal.”

Next door neighbour Martin Peterer of Wildwood Contracting responded immediately with a backhoe and recruited fellow Wildwood Contracting colleague Jim Rathwell to help.

Peterer performed some delicate shovel work with the backhoe to scoop out part of the underwater mass of roots that the horse was stuck in, enabling Jennifer, Bryan and Jim to get a sling around the horse’s body.

Lifted carefully up and out of the pond by the backhoe, he was placed on shore where local veterinarian Dr. Bob Egli had arrived on scene.

“He was lifeless,” said Jennifer. “He was in so much shock and hypothermia that Dr. Egli could hardly find a vein on him. He got him on some IV fluids and gave him some shots. We never got the horse standing until about 2 o’clock that afternoon. Martin and Jim, those two stayed until that horse was up on its feet.”

Despite some roughed up legs and a cut on his side, Mr. Mist is reported to be doing just fine.

Jennifer says she and Bryan were overwhelmed by the support and assistance they received from friends, family and all of the people who played a part in the rescue of Mr. Mist.

The Bakos’ would especially like to thank Martin Peterer and Jim Rathwell of Wildwood Contracting, as well as Dr. Bob Egli for their extraordinary efforts.

- Chris Marchand

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About Author

chrismarchand

Chris Marchand is a native of Dryden, Ontario. He served his first newspaper internship at The Dryden Observer in 1998 while attending journalism studies at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops B.C. He's worked desks as both reporter and editor at the Fernie Free Press as well as filled the role of sports editor at the Cranbrook Daily Townsman. Marchand was named editor of the Dryden Observer in Aug. 2009.