Horses fall in sink hole, escape injury
Two horses, running-at-large this past Wednesday evening, escaped serious injury when they fell into a 10-to-12-foot deep ravine.
The incident occurred between county roads Eagle and Diamond, near U.S.-56. The area was the former Central Kansas Railway tracks which is now owned by Central Kansas Conservancy for Rails for Trails project.
The horses, a mare and her colt, broke out of their pen beginning the chase.
At 11 p.m., their owner, Mike Childs Jr., and Marion County Sheriff's Office personnel were attempting to corral the horses when the animals disappeared from sight.
"We were trying to keep them on the right-of-way (along U.S.-56) and off of the highway, when 'poof' — they were gone," said sheriff Lee Becker. The horses were found in a sink hole, near the highway, with their hooves caught in a metal drainage pipe.
The pipe runs under U.S.-56, the former railroad tracks, and drains into an adjoining field.
Marty Dalke, of Hillsboro, provided a backhoe which was used to enlarge the hole. Once the hole was enlarged, volunteers were able to get to the horses to assist in the rescue.
"Jessica Laurin (veterinarian with Animal Health Center of Marion County) gave the horses a sedative," Becker said. Darvin Markley, of Markley Wrecker Service, provided straps to hoist the animals out of the hole.
Eric Soyez of Cedar Point, with sheriff's office personnel, attached ropes and straps to the animals to keep them confined.
Once the animals were sedated and the straps secured, the backhoe was used to hoist the animals from the hole.
After four and one-half hours, the fatigued horses were out of the hole, examined by Laurin, and on their way home.
Minor scratches and abrasions that did not require treatment were the only visible signs of the horses' ordeal.
"I'd like to acknowledge those who helped," Becker said. He thanked Dalke, Laurin, Soyez, Markley, Jeff Soyez and Larry Starkey of the sheriff's department, assistant chief Jessey Hiebert of the Hillsboro Police Department, and Kevin Jost and his son of Hillsboro.
