This is a story of love and friendship between a person and a horse. Nicole Graham chose to remain waist-deep in the swamp alongside her horse, Astro, waiting for rescuers to arrive, despite the risk of being swept away by the incoming tide.
The sport horse got stuck in a “quicksand” trap on Avalon Beach and was trapped in the mud up to its neck. The rescue team arrived quickly, aware that if they didn’t manage to pull Astro out before 5:00 PM, the horse would drown in the rising tide.
Initially, the team tried to pull the 18-year-old, half-ton horse out using fire hoses and a winch, but without success. Nicole, who has ridden there for 20 years, says she’d never seen anything like it before.
In a last-minute effort, Astro was freed using a tractor provided by a local farmer and a helicopter. It was nothing short of a miracle, as the horse barely suffered any injuries. Just a few days later, Nicole Graham and Astro resumed their training.
