Horse falls into river near Baar, rescued by helicopter

A horse fell into a river in the early afternoon of Sunday, August 16, in the municipality of Baar, in canton Zug. Rescuers were alerted shortly after 1:15pm and responded on Höllstrasse, where the animal had ended up in the waters of a tributary.

According to the owner's account, the horse had escaped from her along a narrow forest path. While fleeing, the animal crossed a small bridge before falling into the watercourse below. The woman was not injured.

A complex operation

Several rescue units mobilized to help the horse: the Baar fire department, the canton of Zug support corps (FFZ), the fire inspector, a veterinarian, the large-animal rescue service and the Zug cantonal police.

To reach and recover the animal, rescuers had to completely dismantle the bridge the horse had crossed before falling into the water. Only after the structure was removed could the large-animal rescue service intervene, lifting the horse out with a helicopter.

Once back on solid ground, the animal was handed over to the veterinarian on site for care.

Dismantling the bridge also affected the trail: the section involved was closed and remains inaccessible.