CREW SAVES HORSE; ANIMAL FALLS 100 FEET DOWN PARK HILLSIDE.Byline: Leilani Albano Daily News Staff Writer A horse was rescued with only minor scratches after it tumbled down a 100-foot embankment on the side of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park Griffith Park is a large public park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains. It is situated in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park covers 4,210 acres (17 km²) of land, making it one of the largest urban parks in North America. on Sunday morning Sunday Morning may refer to:
It took nearly two hours to retrieve the 1,500-pound equine, named Phantom, which had to be tranquilized and airlifted to the top of the mountain before being returned to its home at the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Equestrian Center. ``It was rather terrifying ter·ri·fy tr.v. ter·ri·fied, ter·ri·fy·ing, ter·ri·fies 1. To fill with terror; make deeply afraid. See Synonyms at frighten. 2. To menace or threaten; intimidate. ,'' said Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, city (1990 pop. 31,971), Los Angeles co., S Calif., completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles; inc. 1914. The largely residential city is home to many motion-picture and television personalities. resident Jay Lipman, Phantom's owner, who recalled the animal losing control after returning from a 90-minute ride. ``He got spooked and lost his footing . . . and then he jumped off the mountainside.'' Lipman, an experienced rider, jumped off before the horse fell and landed safely on the soft dirt path. Phantom was not as lucky and landed 100 feet below. Park rangers were notified by passers-by and stabilized the horse and the owner, officials said. The rangers were assisted by the Los Angeles Fire Department The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), also known as the Los Angeles City Fire Department to distinguish it from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. It is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Los Angeles. , and its search-and-rescue unit members who rappelled down to the fallen animal lying in thick brush on Verb 1. brush on - apply with a brush; "Brush butter on the roast" coat, surface - put a coat on; cover the surface of; furnish with a surface; "coat the cake with chocolate" the steep slope. ``I think it was more scary for him because I wasn't there,'' said Lipman, who watched as a team of veterinarians Veterinarians and veterinary surgeons (vets) are medical professionals who operate exclusively on animals. Well-known and notable veterinarians include:
``The most challenging part (of the rescue) was harnessing the horse,'' said the Fire Department's Rick Wheeler, who was responsible for picking up the horse by helicopter. ``I wanted to keep the ride as smooth as possible and keep the swing to a minimum.'' After a two-minute flight to a nearby landing site on Mount Hollywood, the rescue crew had to figure out how to wake the sedated animal without injury. After releasing the harness and injecting Phantom with a drug designed to reverse the sedative's effects, the team had to keep him down as long as possible to keep him from breaking bones when he woke up, officials said. The weakened horse buckled over several times for about 15 minutes before getting back on his feet. ``With all that falling, there's not a scrap,'' said a beaming Lipman, noting that Phantom suffered only minor cuts. Although many of the trails are only about 10 feet wide, the paths are generally safe and are regularly used by hikers and horseback riders without incident. According to officials, however, there is at least one horse accident per year that occurs along the park's 53 equestrian trails, and up to five in the city. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Jay Lipman, top left, tries to calm his horse, Phantom, after it fell down a Griffith Park hill Sunday. Reed Saxon/Associated Press |
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