Good Samaritans Unite to Airlift Injured Horse From Oregon Hiking Area
The power of social media and friend networks brought a formidable group of people together to pull off the dramatic rescue of an injured horse in Oregon on August 7.
Washington resident Sandra Cheek joined the rescue effort to provide the equine sling that was used to move the horse, called Otis.
Cheek described events to Storyful: “Otis was injured on a remote trail in Oregon on the Eagle Cap Wilderness and could not walk. There is no way out or in other than walking so the owner found a willing helicopter pilot and contacted me.” Cheek said that she guided the owner and helicopter pilot through the complex process of airlifting Otis to safety.
This video of the rescue was captured by Whitney Wilber, daughter of Otis’ owner. In the video, the rescue can be seen going off without a hitch, as Otis is carefully airlifted through the air before landing and being attended to by a group of people.
Cheek said on Facebook that Otis is “expected to make a full recovery.” She told Storyful that the rescue’s success was down to “all the random acts of kindness and generosity from reaching out on social media and tapping our personal resources.” Credit: Whitney Wilber via Storyful
