Poppy airlifted from Otaki River flood

SAFE: Poppy after being airlifted from the Otaki River. Photo: Wellington SPCA.

A horse, stranded by the Otaki River during rising river levels, was airlifted to safety after a dramatic rescue on Friday.

The two-year-old horse, called Poppy, was discovered stranded on a steep bank, about 1.5km east of the road bridge in the Otaki Forks area.

The SPCA's National Rescue Unit was alerted at 8.30am which led to a multi agency response including the unit, Massey University's Veterinary Emergency Response Team, Palmerston North Rescue Emergency Support Team, Wellington Helicopters, local animal control and the police.

Chief Executive Steve Glassey, from Wellington SPCA, which hosts the national specialist unit, said the decision to deploy the team along with mutual aid partners was given urgency, given the river was rapidly rising due to flash flooding.

An equine veterinarian and animal rescue technicians were quickly deployed to assess, stabilise and sedate the horse while other rescuers prepared the helicopter cable at a landing site about a kilometre downstream.

"It doesn't get more critical or hazardous than this," Mr Glassey said.

"Large animals, flood water and helicopters are a complicated mix at the best of times, but this rescue was down to the wire with the horse beginning to become submerged due to the rapidly rising river just as the cable was flown into position to safely evacuate Poppy to the landing site."

Poppy, who was reunited with her owner, spent the night under a makeshift tent and given lots of care and attention, and by Saturday she was standing, moving and eating.

The SPCA Animal Rescue Unit was founded by Mr Glassey 20 years ago as the first team of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and recently became a national resource after funding from the Royal New Zealand SPCA.

All three rescue teams in the operation have been trained by Rescue 3 International to global standards in swiftwater and technical animal rescue.

Wellington SPCA is covering the cost of the helicopter and welcomes donations at www.wellingtonspca.org.nz/donate.htm