The UF Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service and other agencies saved five horses Sunday in High Springs.
The horses were stuck in waters from the overflowing Santa Fe River, which was caused by Hurricane Irma. One member of the team arrived on Friday, and John Haven, the college of veterinary medicine director, and about five Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service, or VETS, team members arrived Saturday to assess the situation.
“This was really different than any animal rescue that we’ve had to do in the past couple years,” Haven said.
The VETS team worked with UF Veterinary Medicine, Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the National Guard and other agencies to coordinate saving the horses.
The team waited until the water level was low enough so they could rodeo the horses to safety Sunday afternoon, Haven said.
Mark Sexton, a spokesperson for Alachua County, said flooding was widespread in the area, including in the eastern part of the county and Fairbanks.
“Low lying areas in Alachua County are always in danger when we get heavy rains,” Sexton said.
Haven said the team handled the task well while working in the woods and experiencing heavy currents in floodwater.
“The important thing is we want to rescue the animals, but we’ve got to keep our team safe,” Haven said. “I feel good about what we did.”
Members of the several different agencies, including the UF Veterinary Emergency Treatment Services technical rescue team, saved five horses trapped in floodwater in High Springs on Sunday.
