Anyone familiar with the ocean understands how quickly conditions can change.
Tides, in particular, are not to be taken lightly—they can catch both people and animals off guard and lead to dangerous, even deadly, situations in a matter of minutes.
A rising tide can easily overtake those who are unprepared, and in some tragic instances, it can result in a prolonged and painful death.
This was nearly the fate of a horse named Astro.
On a Sunday afternoon, Nicole Graham and her daughter were out riding horses along a beach near Geelong, just outside Melbourne, Australia.
Their peaceful outing took a turn when they ventured onto unstable ground. The terrain gave way beneath them, becoming a thick, muddy trap.
Nicole managed to free her daughter and her daughter’s horse, but her own horse, Astro, was not so lucky.
Astro became deeply mired in the mud, eventually sinking up to his neck, leaving him at serious risk of suffocation.
Nicole refused to leave him. For three grueling hours, she stayed by his side, fighting to keep him calm and above the muck.
Every time Astro showed signs of distress, he would slip deeper into the mud.
As the minutes ticked by, the urgency of the situation grew. One can only imagine the turmoil Nicole must have been experiencing during those agonizing hours.