Do horses fly? In Calif, they do..sometimes

Crews airlift horse out of canyon
Owner says words cannot describe her relief
By Jenifer Gee Journal Staff Writer
http://auburnjournal.com/detail/129869.html?content_source=&category_id=&search_filter=&user_id=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&event_ts_to=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=1&sub_type=&town_id=
Ben Furtado/Auburn Journal

Natasha, a 1,1,00-pound paint-thoroughbred-cross horse, was airlifted to safety Thursday after spending the night trapped in the American River Canyon near Cool.






Emergency crews flew a 1,100-pound horse out of the canyon near Cool Thursday after the horse and its owner were trapped overnight. Owner Alicia Hutcheson’s voice quavered as she described the terrifying ordeal she and her 8-year-old paint-thoroughbred-cross horse Natasha endured when they were caught in the American River’s strong current. On Thursday, Hutcheson and Natasha were on firm ground surrounded by the crews that rescued them.

Hutcheson said Wednesday afternoon she and a friend decided to go for a ride in the canyon. She was sitting atop Natasha, who was about knee deep in the river to cool her legs, when the ground below gave away. Hutcheson said Natasha was spooked and lunged forward, taking them both into the current as Natasha thrashed in the water until she was trapped in branches. It was at that point Hutcheson said she was certain death was imminent.

“She started flopping sideways,” Hutcheson recalled. “Then I saw the sparkle go out of her eyes.” Hutcheson then grabbed Natasha’s saddle horn and pulled. “It took all the fight in me to pull her up,” Hutcheson said.

But they were safe.

“From there it was relief, but now what?” Hutcheson recalled thinking. The steep, rocky terrain surrounding them impeded any type of easy exit so Hutcheson’s friend rode out for help. Calstar 3 crews flew in. Hutcheson said they advised her to go get some rest while they decided how to help her horse but the loyal owner refused. “No way was I going to leave her,” Hutcheson said. So she and a few Calstar crewmembers stayed on the shore of the El Dorado County side of the North Fork of the American River with Natasha over night.

Relief came Thursday afternoon when multiple emergency rescuers arrived to help.

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