Flash floods are terrible, one minute you can have a field that is ok an hour later water logged, so when we appeal for people to check their animals we are serious and not wasting time. On the 7th of June we got a call to Gort where a mare and foal were in trouble. The mare had got caught in a flash flood and when we got there was stuck with her week old foal beside her. We contacted the Gardai who could not help as car was in a different part of the county, we contacted local fire brigade who said they were not trained or had the equipment to deal with a situation like this. So with some local men we managed to pull her out but at that stage she was dieing so a vet had to be called to put her asleep. Sad end to something that never should have happened as her owner should have known that the land she was on was not good and should have moved them. We were well warned on local and national radio and tv that there was heavy rain for Thursday and Friday. The foal is ok and will survive. Again we appeal to all animal owners move them if the land is likely to flash flood.

Warning: Some people may find the following photographs upsetting.