How firefighters lifted a 1,600-pound horse out of a muddy creek bed

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Forsyth County Fire Department Heavy Rescue 12 arrives on scene in Cumming, Georgia, to assist in a multi-hour operation saving a 1,600-pound horse stranded in a creek bed on August 4, 2026. (Forsyth County Fire Department)

A joint rescue operation freed a 1,600-pound horse after it became trapped in a Forsyth County creek bed Tuesday. 

Forsyth County horse rescue

What we know:

A horse owner called for help Tuesday after finding their 1,600-pound horse lying trapped in a creek at the back of their property. 

Forsyth County Fire Department responded to the scene, but crews could not get the heavy animal back up on its feet. 

: A local veterinarian and owner tend to a 1,600-pound horse trapped in a muddy creek bed in Cumming, Georgia, before fire crews successfully hoisted the animal to safety on August 4, 2026. (Forsyth County Fire Department)

Forsyth County firefighters called in Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services to bring their Technical Large Animal Rescue Team. 

Crews from both departments worked for over five hours testing different strategies to rescue the animal. 

Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services Engine 12 responds to a call in Cumming, Georgia, to assist with a 1,600-pound horse trapped in a creek on August 4, 2026. (Forsyth County Fire Department)

First responders ultimately set up Cherokee County's large animal tripod and harness to hoist the horse to its feet alongside a veterinarian on the scene. 

After regaining feeling in its legs, the horse walked back home with its owner and the vet. 

Emergency crews from Forsyth and Cherokee counties utilize a specialized Technical Large Animal Rescue tripod to safely lift a trapped 1,600-pound horse in Cumming, Georgia, on August 4, 2026. (Forsyth County Fire Department)

Emergency animal response

What we don't know:

Officials have not released the specific address of the residence where the rescue occurred. Authorities have not stated what caused the horse to fall into the creek bed initially, nor have they provided the name of the horse or its owner. 

First responders set up heavy rescue equipment along a wooded creek bank in Cumming, Georgia, to free a stranded 1,600-pound horse during a five-hour joint operation on August 4, 2026. (Forsyth County Fire Department)