Horse rescued from sinkhole on western Pennsylvania farm

SCENERY HILL, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say emergency responders used a hoist to rescue a retired racehorse from a sinkhole on a western Pennsylvania farm.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that the Washington County Animal Response Team was called after Chautauqua Worms fell into the 6-foot hole on the Scenery Hill farm.

Firefighter Ed Childers of the North Strabane fire department said rescuers lifted the 1,000-pound horse from the hole at about 9:30 a.m. today with the help of an A-frame hoist borrowed from the county.

Veterinarian Leah Mitchell said the horse had a few cuts but wasn’t badly hurt. She said the situation could have been life-threatening, and Chautauqua Worms “was a lucky horse.”

Mitchell said the sinkhole was created by erosion from an underwater stream following recent rains.