Emergency crews use helicopter hoist to rescue horse after fall in Carmel Valley

Authorities used a helicopter Thursday afternoon to rescue a horse that fell into a steep ditch in the Carmel Valley area.

Mackey and her rider “rolled off a trail and into a ravine in a remote area near” state Route 56 around 12:30 p.m., according to Nina Thompson, a spokesperson with the San Diego Humane Society.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department described the location as a “very steep trail” about three-quarters of a mile from SR-56 off Carmel Valley Road.

Neither Mackey nor her rider were injured, authorities said.

Mackey’s veterinarian showed up to examine her and “provide sedation to reduce stress during the rescue,” Thompson said in a news release.

The Humane Society’s emergency response team responded along with San Diego firefighters. A crew on a Fire-Rescue Department helicopter hoisted Mackey to an area near where her trailer was waiting, and the emergency crews on the ground helped catch her as the helicopter lowered her to the ground.

“Now loaded in a trailer and headed home, Mackey the horse and her owner can rest and recover,” Thompson said.