Firefighters Rescue Horse from Snow Covered Swimming Pool

Spider the Horse Falls into Snow Covered Pool

Firefighters were called to rescue an 11 year old horse that had fallen through a snow covered swimming pool cover into a pool in Sherborn, Massachusetts.

The firefighters arrived to find the horse in the deep end of the pool shivering with cold and nervousness. After considering the rescue options the firefighters decided to cut through the ice and pool cover and lead the nervous horse to safety.

The horse had wandered out of his barn while nobody was looking. Unfortunately it had not been possible to shut the gates between the barn and the swimming pool due to the snow which also obscured the inground pool.

Spider the horse walked onto the surface of the pool which was protected with a high strength swimming pool cover. Advertisers of this particular pool cover proudly announce that it can take the weight of a small elephant. Unfortunately the high strength swimming pool cover wasn't strong enough to take the combined weight of both the snow and the horse.

There were fears that Spider would succumb to hypothermia as the pool heaters were no longer in use and the water was covered in a layer of ice. But firefighters were able to successfully return him to his stable in about half an hour. He'd suffered a few minor scratches on his feet and ankles but the biggest concern was hypothermia.

Spider the horse was dried and treated to a vigorous rub down and warmed up with propane heaters. It was clear that he had not suffered any seriously adverse affects from his cold, mid winter dip.

Pool owners are warned that their swimming pool covers may be able take a lot of weight but if there is already snow and ice on the cover and then it is walked on the additional weight can be enough to rip through the cover. Combine this risk with the camouflaging effect of the snow and you have an immediate danger. Pool owners are encouraged to fence off their inground swimming  pool to prevent accidents like this from occurring.