Good Samaritans rescue horse stuck in mountains above Sky Valley

A group of Good Samaritans rescued a stranded horse in sky valley Thursday. Two brothers David and Jesse Hannah noticed the two-year old horse running on the top of the mountain Wednesday. They tried to get help, but after not getting any answers, took it upon themselves to try to rescue it.

At daybreak on Thursday they decided to climb the mountain themselves, bringing water to the horse, while other members of the community began calling for help. Riverside County Animal control arrived on scene but they couldn’t find a way to get the horse down before nightfall.

Later in the afternoon, two horse experts arrived to see if they could help. They climbed the mountainside to relieve the Hannah brothers, and they were also able to walk the horse down safely.

“The top part was the steepest, so we just kind of had to get it down there,” says Rick Bates. “I threw my lariat around its rump and just encouraged it from behind a little bit as well as leading and we were able to get a few steps and pretty soon he just started to follow me down the trail.”

The horse was later reunited with the owner, who lives on a ranch at the bottom of the mountain. She was overwhelmed with gratitude of the safe return. The owner told us the horse had been missing about a week.

The Hannah Brothers said the horse hovered safely near a cross that was located at the top of the mountain. “The cross was it’s salvation.”