Watch: SoCal firefighters save the life of Eli, a colicky mule
The Orange County Fire Authority captured video of the Trabuco Canyon operation last week. Eli was experiencing life-threatening colic, the agency said on X. Station 18 stepped in when the mule's owners were unable to get him to stand.
Footage showed the horizontal equine squirming and struggling as a firefighter and a veterinarian assisted him. A crew of firefighters then tied Eli up, flipped him, and hoisted him using a rescue device called a bipod.
According to Sean Doran, a spokesperson for OCFA, that equipment was also used in World War I to roll over upside-down tanks.
'It's got this incredible capacity and strength,' he said told The Times. 'These horses obviously, or mules in this case, are no match for it.'
The firefighters pulled Eli out of his stable before bringing him to his feet. After a bit, he clopped back into his stable, where he is doing much better, the authority's X post said.
According to the University of Minnesota, horses and other equines are naturally prone to colic. Allowing the animal to walk around can help ease pain, the university said. Doran said that Eli, lying down, wasn't able to pass food and was at risk of his organs compressing. Had he not been hoisted upright, the colic could have been fatal, he said.
Doran said he watched the rescue happen on Friday and visited Eli again on Sunday. He spoke with one of the owners, an animal lover who had owned Eli for almost all of the mule's life. Everything about the rescue was 'just goodness, pure goodness,' he said.
He also said that OCFA firefighters had been trained to conduct large-animal rescues with live horses. In addition to routine rescue skills, they learn how to approach the horses and to interpret how they need to be treated depending on the situation.
'It's seamless teamwork in action,' he said.
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Los Angeles Times
6 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Watch: SoCal firefighters save the life of Eli, a colicky mule
Orange County firefighters came to the rescue when a 20-year-old mule named Eli appeared down for the count. The Orange County Fire Authority captured video of the Trabuco Canyon operation last week. Eli was experiencing life-threatening colic, the agency said on X. Station 18 stepped in when the mule's owners were unable to get him to stand. Footage showed the horizontal equine squirming and struggling as a firefighter and a veterinarian assisted him. A crew of firefighters then tied Eli up, flipped him, and hoisted him using a rescue device called a bipod. According to Sean Doran, a spokesperson for OCFA, that equipment was also used in World War I to roll over upside-down tanks. 'It's got this incredible capacity and strength,' he said told The Times. 'These horses obviously, or mules in this case, are no match for it.' The firefighters pulled Eli out of his stable before bringing him to his feet. After a bit, he clopped back into his stable, where he is doing much better, the authority's X post said. According to the University of Minnesota, horses and other equines are naturally prone to colic. Allowing the animal to walk around can help ease pain, the university said. Doran said that Eli, lying down, wasn't able to pass food and was at risk of his organs compressing. Had he not been hoisted upright, the colic could have been fatal, he said. Doran said he watched the rescue happen on Friday and visited Eli again on Sunday. He spoke with one of the owners, an animal lover who had owned Eli for almost all of the mule's life. Everything about the rescue was 'just goodness, pure goodness,' he said. He also said that OCFA firefighters had been trained to conduct large-animal rescues with live horses. In addition to routine rescue skills, they learn how to approach the horses and to interpret how they need to be treated depending on the situation. 'It's seamless teamwork in action,' he said.
New York Post
13-07-2025
- New York Post
England's oldest WWII veteran, Donald Rose, dead at 110
Britain's oldest World War II veteran, Donald Rose, has died at the age of 110. Rose participated in the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, and was part of the division that liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northern Germany. In a statement Friday, the leader of the Erewash Borough Council in the north of England, James Dawson, announced Rose's death, calling him a 'war hero.' 3 Britain's oldest World War II veteran, Donald Rose, passed away at the age of 110. AP 3 Rose was part of the division that liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northern Germany. AP 'Erewash was privileged to count him as a resident,' he added. In May, Rose joined 45 other veterans as guests of honor at a tea party celebration hosted by the Royal British Legion at the National Memorial Arboretum, to mark 80 years since Victory in Europe Day. Rose, who was born on Christmas Eve in 1914 following the outbreak of hostilities in World War I, said at the event that he did not celebrate VE Day at the time. 'When I heard that the armistice had been signed 80 years ago, I was in Germany at Belsen and, like most active soldiers, I didn't get to celebrate at that time,' he said. 'We just did what we thought was right and it was a relief when it was over.' 3 Wounded British troops from the South Lancashire and Middlesex regiments are being helped ashore at Sword Beach, June 6, 1944, during the D-Day invasion. AP Originally from the village of Westcott, southwest of London, Rose joined the army aged 23 and served in North Africa, Italy and France, according to the Royal British Legion. He received a number of medals and was awarded France's highest honor, the Legion d'Honneur. Rose is also believed to have been the U.K.'s oldest man.
12-07-2025
UK's oldest WWII veteran, Donald Rose, dies at 110
LONDON -- Britain's oldest World War II veteran, Donald Rose, has died at the age of 110. Rose participated in the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, and was part of the division that liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northern Germany. In a statement Friday, the leader of the Erewash Borough Council in the north of England, James Dawson, announced Rose's death, calling him a 'war hero.' 'Erewash was privileged to count him as a resident," he added. In May, Rose joined 45 other veterans as guests of honor at a tea party celebration hosted by the Royal British Legion at the National Memorial Arboretum, to mark 80 years since Victory in Europe Day. Rose, who was born on Christmas Eve in 1914 following the outbreak of hostilities in World War I, said at the event that he did not celebrate VE Day at the time. 'When I heard that the armistice had been signed 80 years ago, I was in Germany at Belsen and, like most active soldiers, I didn't get to celebrate at that time," he said. 'We just did what we thought was right and it was a relief when it was over.' Originally from the village of Westcott, southwest of London, Rose joined the army aged 23 and served in North Africa, Italy and France, according to the Royal British Legion. He received a number of medals and was awarded France's highest honor, the Legion d'Honneur.
