Foal rescued by police in Spain after falling from height of around eight metres and becoming trapped upside-down

A six-month-old foal has been rescued by the police in Spain after it fell from a height of around eight metres and became trapped. The incident happened in the Portillo de la Sía area, in the north of the province of Burgos.

It was officers from the Guardia Civil who rescued the little colt. After falling into the void, the animal had become firmly lodged - upside down - between a tree and a rock, located in the Portillo de la Sía area, near Espinosa de los Monteros.

The foal was trapped in an area that was difficult to access due to the terrain and the abundant vegetation. But, at the scene, the police officers could see that the animal was still alive; however, it remained immobile in an inverted position - head down and with its limbs towards the sky. It was trapped at the foot of the crag from which it had fallen, wedged between the rock and a tree.

This position also made it difficult to free the horse. The rescue work began with a hand saw and an axe, which were used to cut back the branches. An electric saw then speeded up the rescue operation which, a few minutes later, was successfully completed with the use of slings.

The animal, dazed from hours of being trapped upside down, took a few minutes to recover and sit up on its limbs. A visual inspection showed that it only had minor wounds and scratches on its head and body. After being rescued, it was returned to its mother, in the presence of the owner who had been on the scene.

The accident may have happened when the foal slipped or tripped while grazing on the edge of a crag next to its mother, at a height of about eight metres.