A 35-year-old horse survived a horror fall into a septic tank on a farm on the Isle of Skye. O'Malley, an OAP Irish Cob, slipped while having a scratch at his home in Lower Milovaig on Sunday afternoon.
It's believed the lid blew off the tank during last week's stormy weather before the horse became trapped for over four hours.
Panicked owner Nikki Veen, 51, told her vet to bring something to euthanise her beloved horse after fearing O'Malley had broken his leg. However members of the community rallied together and the horse was eventually pulled out by firefighters and a local farmer's digger - which Nikki described as a "miracle".
Nikki, who is originally from Holland, told the Record: "I've had horses since I was born and I've never seen one survive such a thing. The way everyone pulled together was incredible.
"When I realised he had fallen into a septic tank, I phoned the fire brigade and the vets. Some neighbours and a digger driver, who had been doing some work on the farm, helped out too.
"We managed to strap him in to lift him. One minute he was lying there on the ground with his entire leg hanging down into the septic tank, looking dead. Then we started lifting him up slowly - and by an absolute miracle he stood straight on that leg straight away."
O'Malley is now resting up - and other than being prescribed some antibiotics, he was unharmed. Nikki, who has owned O'Malley for 23 years, added: "He's a little superstar in his own right.
"It was touch and go - he was very lucky. The vets even said it was a miracle.
"I'm just thrilled he's okay. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped. If everyone hadn't come to our aid then I would have lost him."
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