This was the terrifying moment a brave young mother battled to keep her beloved horse calm as sea water closed in on the animal after he became trapped in mud ‘like quicksand’.
Race against the tide:
Bravery of young mother who stayed by her horse’s side for THREE HOURS after getting trapped in mud ‘like quicksand’.
This was the terrifying moment a brave young mother battled to keep her beloved horse calm as sea water closed in on the animal after he became trapped in mud ‘like quicksand’.
Exhausted and mud-splattered, Nicole Graham… clung to her trapped horse Astro for three hours keeping his head high in a race against the tide.
The 78-stone show horse had sunk into quagmire-like mud and was facing the prospect of drowning as the water rose around them.
Miss Graham had been out on an afternoon ride with her daughter along the coast near Geelong, south of Melbourne, when 18-year-old Astro suddenly sunk into the mud.
Before she could shout a warning, the smaller horse her daughter Paris was riding was also partially swallowed up by the mud.
After dragging herself through the mire, Miss Graham helped her daughter and the other horse on to firmer ground.
However, Astro was stuck fast and her efforts to pull him free only resulted in herself sinking deeper into the quagmire.
As Paris ran to their car and phoned for help, Miss Graham stayed at her horse’s side. She courageously clung on to his neck, terrified that he would not be freed before the tide came in.
After three ‘terrifying’ hours, rescuers managed to pull Astro and Miss Graham from the mud.
A quagmire is boggy, marshy sort of area that can quickly become dangerous. Once something becomes trapped in it, the object or person can sink down. Just like quicksand, it causes deaths and can easily cause a terrible situation. As we all read in the above story, help can take a very long time to arrive, and when they do it is very seldom that there is a fast rescue.
Although biologists even find it hard to find where a bog begins and ends, there are ways to keep yourself and your loved ones out of trouble. The first and one of the smartest things to do is research. More than likely if the place you’re about to go walking/riding in has been previously explored and is dangerous, there will be a record of it. This may be a process, but it will be worth it in the end. Even the simple act of finding a guide can up your safety.
In the case that you do become trapped in the the mud, the best thing to do is remain still. It sounds incredibly ignorant, but it works. The more you move, the faster you will be pulled in. If someone is with you, have them call for help. It’s best to leave the authorities to it because “heroic deeds” can result in even more trouble and danger. If it absolutely cannot wait, attempt to use a strong, thick tree for anchorage. This is done at one’s own risk and not recommended in less extreme cases.