Brandon Township crews and community save horses from icy pond

On Thursday morning, the horses, called Walther and Indy, slipped through the fence of a private farm in Brandon Township and walked across a frozen pond.

(FOX 2) Brandon Township, MichiganWhen two horses slipped through the ice in a tiny pond in a village in northern Oakland County, one of them was on the verge of death, prompting a multi-person rescue effort.

The backstory

On Thursday morning, the horses, called Walther and Indy, slipped through the fence of a private farm in Brandon Township and walked across a frozen pond.

Penelope, their owner, later discovered them in the icy water. Unfortunately, as Walther grew older and bigger, his condition deteriorated.

“You could see the icicles hanging off his face and off his mane and the other, Indy, kept going up to Walther trying to keep him aware of what was going on,” an Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Richard Hubble said.

Officials from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, the Brandon Township Fire Department, and others were working against the clock to rescue the horses. After using a tow strap, the 15 men in command were able to free Indy.

In the meantime, Walther was deteriorating and not moving around like Indy, according to Brandon Township fire chief Dave Kwapis.

It took firemen four hours to extricate Walther using a pulley system and tripod. He was near death, according to officials, and was unable to stand.

He was extremely hypothermic, according to Dr. Crystal Dewitt of Hadley Hill Equine.

In an attempt to save Walther’s life, the township stepped in, sending a local veterinarian to the scene and a sanctuary named Abraham Ranch to donate their heated barn.

The ranch’s owner, Jay Reynolds, worked with others to assist Walter from twilight until daybreak. Thankfully, Walter was spared!

“I got to watch him stand up and to be able to call Penelope and let her know Walther is up and moving, priceless, just to hear that little girl s happiness was priceless,” stated Hubble.

Thanks to the community’s assistance, Walter is eating and standing, indicating that he will be alright even if he still has some recovery left to complete.

The Source: Dr. Crystal Dewitt of Hadley Hill Equine, Sgt. Richard Hubble of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, and Brandon Township fire chief Dave Kwapis were interviewed by FOX 2 reporter Jessica Dupnack.