Horse falls into sinkhole in Mirfield prompting dramatic rescue mission

A woman has thanked "fantastic" rescuers who helped her 27-year-old horse after he plunged into a sinkhole.

The horse, called Prince, was found stuck neck-deep in a field in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, on Saturday morning after the ground collapsed.

His owner, Helen Tempest, was at hand to comfort him until rescue teams arrived.

"I just sat on the ground nest to him, stroking him, I could only reach his ears, he seemed to settle," she said. "The only time he was panicking was when I got up and moved."

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service used diggers from a nearby business to help the horse to safety. The team dug the ground to create a path to remove him.

They covered his eyes, put cotton wool in his ears, and gave him sedation to keep him calm while the rescue was underway.

Technical rescue officer Damian Cameron said it was the safest option.

He said: "A sink hole can be caused by a number of things, from old mines to running water.

"We’ve had similar incidents in the past where cows have got stuck in sink holes andwe do have the option of putting slings around them and lifting them out.

"However, we felt this could be dangerous for Prince and so we opted to dig him out instead."

A rope was attached to Prince who escaped with no injuries, and returned to his relieved owner.

An emotional Helen said she was beyond grateful for the firefighters' help.

"I'm just so grateful, I don't know what I would have done without him," she said. "The speed, just how calm they were, and how brilliant they were with me, because I was hopeless, they were just fantastic.

"He's back out in a different field today with a few of his stablemates, life back to normal for him."

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