Rescue team helps 17-year-old Bella the horse get back on her feet in East Bridgewater

EAST BRIDGEWATER — A horse in East Bridgewater got a lift from her friends at the Plymouth County Technical Rescue Team on Wednesday after she couldn’t stand up on her own.

Twelve recue technicians arrived at the scene, a private residence located at 377 Central St. in East Bridgewater, shortly after 6:05 p.m. to find that the 17-year-old horse named Bella was not able to stand up due to deep mud and ice, said Duxbury Fire Capt. Alex Merry, the director of the Plymouth County Technical Rescue Team.

In under an hour, rescuers were able to put a sling on the horse and lift the 1,600-pound animal to her feet using a crane donated by a local tree company.

“We did have to stay with the horse longer because we needed to sedate the horse for the safety of rescuers and the horse,” Merry said. “We had to wait until the sedation wore off, until she was able to function normally."

In the end, Bella was able to walk back into her stable on her own.

The Plymouth County Technical Rescue Team is made up of 70 firefighters and public safety members from the 27 towns and 29 fire departments within Plymouth County, according to its website. The team assists in tricky rescue operations that include tower climbing, confined spaces, trenches, scuba dives, structural collapses and large animal rescues.

Enterprise staff writer Amelia Stern can be reached by email at astern@enterprisenews.com.