The rescue of a gelding from a water tank has been caught on camera by firefighers in Sydney, Australia. Five-year-old Jester fell into the deep hole on Thursday (7 July) and was unable to escape.

Thankfully his fall was broken by water, which had half-filled the tank, but 400kg chestnut needed extra assistance to get out. Police and the Rural Fire Service attended the site and called in a specialist Fire and Rescue New South Wales (FRNSW) crew from Liverpool, equipped with heavy animal-lifting equipment.

The team used a sling and an excavator to pull Jester free from the tank in Belimbla Park, south-west of Sydney.

“As Jester stood distressed, the fire crews drained the water and, borrowing an excavator from a neighbouring property, they rigged up several slings, carefully lifting the horse to safety,” said a spokesman from FRNSW. “The horse was successfully assessed at the scene by a vet.”

Lead image and video by Fire and Rescue NSW

Find out what’s inside the latest issue of Your Horse

Get the latest issue

Check out our latest subscription offer