Horse, rider airlifted out of remote Angeles National Forest canyon
Video footage shows a County of Los Angeles Fire Department helicopter flying the horse through the California wilderness.
A woman and her horse needed a rescue after they slipped down a cliff in the Angeles National Forest on Friday.
It took a helicopter from the County of Los Angeles Fire Department to hoist the 16-year-old horse named Dakota out of the remote canyon after it fell about 100 feet down the Santa Clara Truck Trail above the city of Sylmar.
RACHAEL OSTROM SACHAR
Firefighters and veterinarian Rachael Sachar surround Dakota where he fell in the Angeles National Forest, Southern California. A helicopter flew the horse out of the canyon for medical treatment.
The couple were traveling the Pacific Crest Trail that runs through the area, veterinarian Racheal Sachar told the Daily News
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| “What a remarkable horse to keep it together under this stress,” says veterinarian Racheal Sachar. (Credit: RACHAEL OSTROM SACHAR) |
The trail crumbled from under Dakota’s legs sending the horse and his rider tumbling down the canyon.
A helicopter with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office picked up Sachar just for the rescue operation. It dropped her off at the trail to tranquilize Dakota and gave him anesthesia.
Dakota had a fractured skull from the fall but is expected to make a full recovery.
“We had to hike down as far as we could and repel down another 300 feet to get to the horse,” Sachar said.
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| Sachar poses with County of Los Angeles firefighters after they rescued a horse by helicopter in the Angeles National Forest. (Credit: RACHAEL OSTROM SACHAR) |
The steep, rocky hillside was covered in poison oak and ticks, she added.
Sachar and the rescue crews found the Tennessee Walking gelding covered in blood. He fractured his skull, Sachar said, but is expected to make a full recovery.
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| Sachar even took a rescue selfie with County of Los Angeles firefighters. (Credit: RACHAEL OSTROM SACHAR) |
“When you’re in very tight quarters, hooking up a horse to a harness and there’s a helicopter flying over you — it’s basically a wind storm and you don’t know what to expect,” Sachar said.
Before taking off, Sachar managed to snap a photograph of Dakota being airlifted to safety. Video footage shows the helicopter flying the brown-and-white painted horse over the remote wilderness.
“What a remarkable horse to keep it together under this stress,” Sachar said.
The woman fell only about 50 feet and had only minor injuries to her leg, according to County of Los Angeles Fire officials. She was taken to a local hospital before crews rescued her horse.
She was traveling with her husband, but he was not injured. He managed to climb down to Dakota to keep him calm until he was rescued.
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