A horse that wandered away from its property near Duck Creek was rescued after becoming stranded on a gravel bar in the Yellowstone River. The Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office coordinated the rescue, utilizing a helicopter to airlift the horse to safety. Sheriff Mike Linder confirmed that the horse was successfully returned to its owner, who was waiting with a trailer.

The horse had been missing since Tuesday and was spotted by a resident on Thursday night. Rescuers opted to wait until Friday morning for safety reasons before attempting the extraction. The operation involved coaxing the horse to the riverbank with food before rigging it for the helicopter lift.

This incident marked a unique rescue for the sheriff’s office, which had previously dealt with cattle during historic floods but had not airlifted a horse before. The successful operation showcased the collaboration between the sheriff’s office and U.S. Water Rescue teams.