Waterville fire Chief Shawn Esler, left, watches as a city firefighter wearing a dry suit gets a ride on an all terrain vehicle to the scene where a horse reportedly was in water up to its neck in Pattee Pond off North Pond Road in Winslow late Monday afternoon. Winslow fire Chief Ronnie Rodriguez, at right, speaks with another rescuer.
"When we approached the horse, about the only thing you could see was part of the horse's neck and head," Winslow fire Chief Ronnie Rodriguez said. Firefighters created a picket system, driving three metal stakes through the ice. Then firefighters in dry suits dived under water and wrapped webbing around the horse's front legs and hauled the horse up on to the ice using rescue rope as darkness fell on Monday afternoon.
After firefighters got the horse up onto the ice, it rolled on to its side and then stood up on all four legs by itself, Winslow Chief Ronnie Rodriguez said. The horse apparently had been running wild Monday afternoon when it broke through the ice.
In addition to the firefighters, a veterinarian and a person with a horse trailer came to help. The horse cooperated with its rescuers, Winslow Chief Ronnie Rodriguez said, as it seemed to know that on this Monday afternoon, they were there for him.
Maine 
