VIDEO: Dramatic Police Bodycam Captures Nerve-Wracking Rescue of Horse ‘Freezing to Death’ in Icy Pond

A tense rescue unfolded on Monday, February 24, 2025, when a 22-year-old quarter horse named Sly fell through the ice of a pond in upstate New York. The dramatic incident, captured on body-camera footage, highlighted the heroic efforts of the Saratoga Springs Police Department (SSPD) and local residents who worked together to save Sly, a 1,300-pound (590-kilogram) horse, from freezing to death.

The rescue began around 3:45 p.m. when Saratoga Springs Police Dispatch received a 911 call reporting that Sly had fallen through the ice. Sly’s owner, Ali Ernst, a technician at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, had returned home from work to find her three horses playing on the pond. But moments later, she saw that Sly had fallen through the ice. With temperatures dropping rapidly, the horse was at risk of hypothermia, according to a Facebook post from the SSPD.

“I was losing the battle to keep him above water alone,” Ernst told AP News in a phone interview. Desperate, she held Sly’s head above the freezing water, awaiting help. Every second in the icy water brought the horse closer to exhaustion and hypothermia.

Officer Kyle Clinton was the first to arrive on the scene and immediately joined Ernst’s efforts to keep Sly’s head above water. Soon after, Officers Kris Camarro and Dominic Martuscello arrived to assist. As they worked, the cold made every movement challenging. Their hands stiffened, their breath coming out in visible clouds as they fought to save the horse.

Body-camera footage, released by the SSPD, captured the dramatic moments as rescuers shouted, “One, two, three, pull!” and “C’mon, baby. We got ya!” as they struggled against the weight of the horse and the resistance of the icy water. The video, shared by the department on its official Facebook page, warned viewers that it may be difficult to watch due to the intense nature of the situation.

The rescuers first tied a rope around Sly’s halter to prevent him from slipping back into the hole. As more people joined the effort, they secured additional ropes. The ice creaked and cracked beneath their feet, threatening to give way. “I threw all the rope in the hole and just started pulling it back in sheer hopes that I caught a hind leg. And I did, and we all just started to pull,” Ernst recalled to AP News.

The cold seeped through gloves and uniforms as rescuers struggled against the weight of the panicked, exhausted horse. With every heave, their boots slid on the slick ice, forcing them to dig in and pull harder, determined not to let Sly slip back into the water.

After several tense minutes, the group managed to free Sly from the icy water. Exhausted but alive, Sly stood on solid ground. He was immediately walked to a nearby barn and transported to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital for treatment. Ernst reported that Sly was initially hypothermic but recovered enough to return home two days later. “There’s an electric fence up around the pond now,” she added, determined to prevent a similar incident in the future.

The Saratoga Springs Police Department expressed pride in the bravery and teamwork displayed by their officers. “The determined effort, strength, and teamwork displayed by our officers serve as an excellent example of the character this department observes among its personnel on a daily basis,” the department wrote in its Facebook post, inviting the community to congratulate the officers on a job well done.

As for Sly, he is now safely back home, leaving behind an inspiring story of courage, teamwork, and determination. The actions of the Saratoga Springs Police Department and local residents serve as a powerful reminder of the extraordinary things people can achieve when they come together in times of crisis.

Watch the nerve-wracking video:

(Courtesy of Saratoga Springs Police Department)