Two horses sank neck-deep into hidden mud during a search-and-rescue training exercise in Flagler County, forcing firefighters to launch a technical rescue operation to pull them free. Both animals wandered onto ground that looked solid before sinking into mud roughly 3.5 to 4 feet deep, and both walked away uninjured once crews got them loose.
The entrapment happened within the Dexter-Mary Farms Wildlife Management Area, and crews from Volusia and Flagler counties responded, according to FlaglerLive. Flagler County Fire Rescue's Technical Rescue Team 312 responded to provide mutual aid to Volusia County Fire Rescue's Technical Rescue Team 533, per the outlet. As reported by FOX 35 Orlando, the horses had been taking part in a grid-search training session run by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office Mounted Posse, a volunteer group that uses personal horses to help the sheriff's office with searches and other operations.
The Mounted Posse's mission is to prepare volunteers to locate missing people in wooded areas, according to a statement from the Flagler County Sheriff's Office. Posse members routinely train alongside regional search partners such as the North Florida Search Team, per that statement. This particular exercise, however, ran into a hazard the terrain didn't advertise: ground that appeared solid before it swallowed both animals.
Firefighters Let the Horses Do the Work
Once crews arrived, Flagler County Fire Rescue personnel on scene included Captain Karl Froling, Firefighter Paramedic Zachary Suarez, Firefighter Paramedic Joseph Crane, and Battalion Chief Brady Barry; the team used specialized large-animal extrication gear, the Palm Coast Observer reports. Firefighters used ropes to give the horses traction rather than forcing the animals to move, according to FOX 35 Orlando.
Michael Tucker, cited in the FOX 35 Orlando report, said firefighters guided the horses instead of making them move, and that once the animals gained momentum, they did most of the work themselves. The ropes simply gave the horses the traction they needed to free themselves, Tucker said. Both horses ultimately walked away safely after being pulled from the mud.
A County With Deep Experience in Equine Emergencies
Captain Froling brings more than routine experience to these calls. He was named the 2025 Search and Rescue Responder Officer of the Year by the Florida Fire Chiefs Association for developing standardized animal technical rescue protocols across Florida fire services, according to AskFlagler. The outlet also describes Froling's work in specialized large-animal rescue.
That expertise connects to a broader statewide system. The University of Florida Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service trains first responders across Florida in animal technical rescue, blending Urban Search and Rescue disciplines with animal behavior protocols, according to UF News. Froling's efforts have also influenced NFPA standards.
Not the County's First Mud Rescue
Flagler County has faced this kind of call before. Back in 2016, emergency crews carried out a 2.5-hour rescue of a 24-year-old horse named Mercy after it fell through a septic tank in western Flagler County. The earlier incident likewise required an emergency response.
Freeing heavy livestock from mud can present technical challenges for responders. Equine emergencies can take varied forms.
Equine cases can also involve animal-welfare enforcement. Whether future search training routes through wildlife areas like Dexter-Mary Farms will be screened in advance for hidden mud hazards remains an open question following this week's rescue.
