2 horses rescued from flooded trail near Bemidji

TURTLE RIVER, Minnesota — Two horses were rescued after getting stuck in a flooded trail at Three Island County Park on Saturday in Turtle River.

According to a release from the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office, at 4:15 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, deputies were notified that two horses were stuck in a swamp at Three Island County Park in Port Hope Township, Turtle River.

Turtle River is 12 miles northeast of Bemidji in Beltrami County.

Deputies discovered that two people were riding horses on the park's trails, some of which were flooded due to the wet spring.

While on the trail, the horses began to sink into the muddy trail, the release said. The horses spooked and ran further into the swampy area before becoming unable to move.

The riders called 911 and provided a description of which trail they were on, and deputies were able to quickly locate them.

Deputies borrowed ten 8-by-10-foot sheets of wood from the Bemidji Fire Department and used a tracked utility-terrain vehicle to haul the boards to the horses and riders.

Contributed

Beltrami County deputies, a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officer, and a Minnesota state trooper used the boards to create a floating bridge for the horses to walk on, the release said.

Contributed

Law enforcement “leap-frogged” the boards for about a quarter-mile until the ground was solid enough for the horses to walk on, the release said.

The riders and horses arrived back at the trailhead parking lot at about 8:30 p.m.

The Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Minnesota DNR, Minnesota State Patrol and the Bemidji Fire Department.