Saturday afternoon took an unexpected turn when Mobile Fire Rescue got an unusual call—there was a horse stuck in Dog River.
Whiskey, a beloved family horse, had wandered into the water and found himself in serious trouble.
His owner, Sissie Brutkiewicz, initially thought he was just cooling off.
But when she saw only his head sticking out of the river, she knew something was wrong.
“It was sucking him down like quicksand,” she said. “The harder he tried to get out, the deeper and more stuck he got.”
A Desperate Call for Help
Sissie and her neighbor, Kristin Hamlin, tried everything to pull Whiskey out, but the mud had him locked in tight.
They needed backup—fast.
Her husband called the Mobile Police Department, and officers arrived quickly, but even they weren’t sure what to do next.
“It was getting colder. We were scared the tide was gonna come in,” Sissie said.
The officers called in Mobile Fire Rescue, and from there, the response snowballed.
A Full-On Rescue Operation
What started as a simple distress call turned into a massive team effort.
Fire trucks rolled in, first responders swarmed the area, and Pitts & Sons brought in wreckers to assist.
Neighbors and friends showed up, some standing waist-deep in mud to comfort Whiskey as rescuers worked out a plan.
Kristin, who refused to leave Whiskey’s side, said, “I mean, that’s what neighbors are for. I didn’t know what to do, so I just got in with her and helped. I was up to my waist in mud sometimes.”
A Delicate Mission
It wasn’t just a matter of pulling Whiskey out—yanking too hard could have caused serious injuries.
Friend and horse expert Star Watson explained the risk:
“The suction…sucking onto his legs. Either breaking them or popping them out of joint.”
The rescue team had to be careful.
They used plywood to support Whiskey’s body, slowly shifting him until he was free.
Heroes in Action
After nearly three hours, the plan worked.
Whiskey was out of the mud and safe. Exhausted but unharmed, he was back on solid ground thanks to the tireless work of firefighters, police officers, neighbors, and friends.
“They were heroes,” Sissie said. “All of them in my book are heroes. They worked very professionally and diligently and were very determined to get him out safely.”
It was a day full of teamwork, determination, and the kind of neighborly spirit that makes all the difference in moments like this.
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