Horses Riders Rescued After Sinking Into Northern Minnesota Bog

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Bemidji, MN (KROC-AM News) - Law enforcement officers in northern Minnesota mounted a significant rescue operation last weekend after two people on horseback became stuck in a bog.

The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office says the incident occurred shortly after 4 PM on Saturday in a park along Turtle Lake about 5 miles northeast of Bemidji. A news release says the horse riders were on a trail that was soaked by floodwaters and the horses began to sink. That cause the horses to be spooked and they ran further into the bog before they stopped and sank to the point that he could not move.

The horse riders still had cell phone service and were able to call 911 and provide a good description of their location. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies obtained some 8 x 10 sheets of lumber from the Bemidji Fire Department and hauled them to the stranded horses and people using a tract UTV.

The 10 sheets of lumber for then used by the deputies, a Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer, and a State Trooper to create a floating bridge for the horses. The officers then "leap-frogged" the sheets of wood for about a quarter of a mile before reaching solid ground.

No injuries were reported, but it took more than four hours for the courses to be freed and to return the animals and their riders back to the trailhead parking lot.