May 02--SOUTH CHATHAM -- It doesn't take a giant sinkhole to swallow a miniature horse. But when the ground gave way and gulped down her beloved stallion, Brenda Nickerson panicked, big-time.
"At first I thought I was seeing things," recalled Nickerson, of South Chatham. "And then I said, 'you're not, 'cuz that's a hole he's in.' So then I calmed down, 'cuz I was hyperventilating."
Nickerson reported the holey horse situation to the Chatham Fire Department around 6 a.m. on Friday. Shortly thereafter, rescue officials were knee-deep in the corral, digging a ramp into the 3 to 4 feet deep sinkhole to give Norton the horse a way to clamber to freedom.
"I got his halter on him and his lead and he came right up," said Nickerson. "And boy didn't he whinny at those firemen. He was so happy."
The sinkhole was apparently caused when an old cesspool collapsed, said Nickerson, and luckily Norton survived the sudden descent without injury. "He doesn't have a scratch on him," said Nickerson. "He's a little nervous."
Nickerson expressed gratitude for the horse sense showed by the fire department, and was thanking her lucky stars that Norton didn't get banged up during his subterranean plunge. "He could have gone in on his back," she said. "Could have broken his leg. I'm still shaking from it."
She was planning to ease the horse she calls "my buddy" back into life on the surface with some extra grooming and a little exercise. Warily peeking out of his stall, Norton seemed to nod in approval.
See video of the sinkhole incident in Chatham at capecodonline.com/capecast
Staff writer K.C. Myers contributed to this report.
Copyright 2014 - Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Mass.
