A blind horse is safe after a rare rescue effort by first responders in Lower Providence, Montgomery County. Volunteer firefighter John Evans, a 21-year member of the Lower Providence Fire Department, said animal rescues are uncommon during his years of service. However, that changed Tuesday n ight when responders received an unusual call. “He said we have a horse in a pool,” Evans said. When Evans arrived, he found the horse trapped in a swimming pool. It was unclear how long the animal had been in the water. As the sun began to set, responders worked to keep the horse from slipping farther into the pool. A Lower Providence police officer held the animal while Evans tried to gain its trust. “We won’t hurt ya,” responders could be heard telling the horse. Evans said he moved hay bales near the pool and used them to help encourage the horse toward safety. “I grabbed hay, moved hay bales to the pool,” Evans said. The horse responded. “I reached over. It moved, walked to me, so I’m like, ‘He wants to get out,'” Evans said. Evans said building trust with the animal was key to the rescue. “I mainly talked to it, get trust,” he said. Once responders gained the horse’s trust, Evans, police officers and other firefighters were able to pull the animal to safety. “County rescue complete,” a responder announced after the successful rescue. With the horse out of the water, crews then focused on getting the animal dried off and checked out. Despite the unusual nature of the call, Evans said helping the community is all part of the job. “Just a normal day of firefighting and rescue,” Evans said. “You call us, we are there.” This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less