Horse falls 20 metres down slope, survives after dramatic rescue

Duster the horse is safe and recoveringafter tumbling almost 20 metres down a creek slope in Courtenay, B.C.Friday evening

Earlier, Duster'sowner, Gary Hunt, noticed the horsewas missing when he didn't show up to eat with the rest of the animals.

To his dismay, Hunt found the young stallion at the bottom of the large creek that runs through a fenced-off area of his 16-hectarepropertyon Vancouver Island.

Huntquickly enlisted the help of his neighbours and ComoxValley RCMPto help rescue Duster. Comox Valley GroundSearch and Rescue were also called in toassist.

Apparently, the horse had beenstanding on a ledge above a creek when the ground collapsed. Dusterlanded underneath a waterfall.

"This creek has gradually eroded the ground, and the horse got too close to the edge, the ground gave way, and down he went," said Paul Berry, search manager with Comox Valley GroundSearch and Rescue.

"He was actually first found in the pool at the bottom of the [waterfall],and the [waterfall is]pouring down on top of him."

Duster sedated

Luckily, the horse had not broken any legs, so the rescuers considered trying to walk him back up the slope, Berry said.

However a veterinarian decided instead to sedate Duster, and the team placed a tarp under the 1,200-pound horse and pulled him up the creek walls usinga rope system.

Once the horse was sedated the team had about 20 minutes before the animal would wake, Berry said.

"We were able to get him up the cliff, just with manpower, and that was neighbours,RCMPand the SAR team together on the haul system to bring him on up in about 13 minutes," said Berry, adding that there were about 25 people involved in the rescue.

Berry saidrescuing a horse was "pretty unique, and not something we've ever been asked before.

"He was able to get up and walk away from it, after just a tremendous fall for this horse," he said.

Hunt said he was thankful to everyone who helped rescueDuster, which he has owned since itwas a foal.

"It was amazing the amount of people that just showed up we had people here that we didn't even know," he said.

He said Duster is recovering and barely has a scratch.

"I can't believe the feeling. This is one tough horse."

With files from MattMeuseandCHEK