Firefighters rescue horse trapped by storm-toppled shelter
One of about 50 calls related to Tuesday's powerful winds
Firefighters freed an injured horse trapped under a toppled animal shelter on Tuesday, one of approximately 50 calls Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) responded to as high winds blew through the city.
The distressed owner called emergency services Tuesday afternoon to report that a horse shelter on their property on Russell Road in the rural east end had blown over and landed on their animal, according to a statement from OFS.
Before firefighters could free the injured horse, a veterinarian was called to sedate the animal due to the risk of it kicking.
Firefighters then used lift bags and hydraulic jacks to lift the structure and placed wooden blocks beneath it to stop it from falling back on the horse.
The horse was freed in under an hour, with photos shared by Ottawa Fire Services showing it being led away.
The animal was left in the care of its owner and the veterinarian, the service said.
Environment Canada had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Ottawa on Tuesday, forecasting wind gusts of up to 110 kilometres an hour. Its Petawawa weather station measured a 94 km/h gust.
As of noon Tuesday, about 25,000 customers were without power across eastern Ontario and western Quebec.