FCFR assists Volusia County rescue 2 horses trapped in deep mud
Published on September 17, 2026
September 17, 2026 – Flagler County Fire Rescue’s Technical Rescue Team (TRT) 312 on Wednesday assisted the Volusia County team – TRT 533 – with the rescue of two horses trapped in deep mud within the Dexter-Mary Farms Wildlife Management Area.
Flagler County team members Captain Karl Froling, Firefighter Paramedic Zachary Suarez, Firefighter Paramedic Joseph Crane, and Battalion Chief Brady Barry supported TRT 533 in safely freeing the animals using specialized large-animal rescue equipment and techniques. Both horses were extricated and evaluated.
“The incident was resolved safely thanks to the coordinated efforts of both counties’ rescue teams,” Fire Rescue Chief Michael Tucker said. “We maintain advanced training and dedicated equipment designed specifically for complex rescue situations involving large animals.”
It was not their first rodeo, as they say, for either Volusia or Flagler County. Both departments have rescued horses trapped in mud. In 2016, a 24-year-old horse named Mercy fell through a septic tank on the west side of Flagler County and was rescued with the assistance of regional partners.
Brandi Phillips, technical rescue branch director of the University of Florida Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service (UF VETS), has experience working with Froling going back to 2012 when they responded to a similar incident involving one horse in Volusia. At that time, Froling worked for Volusia County Fire Rescue.
“Rather than viewing this as an isolated challenge, (Karl) Froling recognized a broader need – the lack of standardized training and equipment for animal technical rescue within the fire service,” Phillips said in a letter of recommendation in 2025 that led to Froling being named Search and Rescue Responder Officer of the Year by the Florida Fire Chiefs Association, through the Florida Association Search and Rescue (FASAR) section.
“His proactive leadership led him to the University of Florida, where he established a partnership that has since transformed response capacity on the east coast of Florida and throughout the state,” Phillips continued.
UF VETS provides specialized training for first responders, veterinary professionals, and livestock industry stakeholders in animal technical rescue – integrating Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) disciplines with animal handling and behavior to promote both responder safety and animal welfare.”
Froling is also a key contributor to UF VETS, serving as an adjunct instructor and subject-matter expert in large animal technical rescue. His efforts have expanded statewide capacity in this specialized domain to influence the development and revision of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, and improved responder safety across diverse disciplines, specifically NFPA 1006 and NFPA 2500 that govern technical rescue operations.
“This is why it is so important to have this type of training,” Tucker said. “It’s not far-fetched to think that we will have to perform rescues like this.”
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