Nature can be extraordinarily generous but also incredibly insidious, especially for those who have just seen the light of the sun. In the mountain area of Esino Lario, in the province of Lecco, a small foal born just twenty-four hours old had to face a dramatic test of survival.
During the day on Wednesday, the animal accidentally slipped down a particularly impervious slope in the Alpeggio Narele area, disappearing into the dense forest vegetation. The newborn spent the whole night alone, stuck at the bottom of the cliff and in the cold, while the alarm was only raised at the first light of dawn yesterday, Thursday 18 June, when the owners noticed his absence and asked for help.
The intervention of the SAF unit and the mobilization from the ground
The rescue machine was activated immediately to manage a situation that appeared desperate due to the very tender age of the equine. The teams of the Provincial Command of the Lecco Fire Brigade converged on the site, supported by the specialists of the SAF unit – Alpine Fluvial Speleo – and by the personnel of the Bellano detachment. Once the colt was located, the technicians had to deal with the extreme slope of the ravine and the conditions of the ground. Given the high risk of slipping and the impossibility of guaranteeing the puppy’s safety by transporting it on foot, the operations room opted for an aerial solution.
The flight department takeoff and recovery with the winch
To break the deadlock, the immediate dispatch of the Fire Brigade flight department was ordered, a strategic move that changed the fate of the day. The helicopter crew flew over the wooded area and, thanks to a millimetric maneuver, lowered the operators into the void. The specialists managed to immobilize and secure the foal, harnessing him delicately so as not to cause trauma. Lifted from the bottom of the precipice using the winch, the small animal was transported by helicopter in a few minutes towards a flat clearing.
The maternal embrace and the baptism in honor of the helicopter
Once we reached dry land, the most exciting epilogue of this Alpine adventure took place. The equine was in fact immediately returned to its legitimate owners and placed back in the care of its mother, who was waiting for it in a state of obvious apprehension. To express deep and undying gratitude towards the rescue workers, the breeders made a symbolic decision, choosing to christen the puppy with the name Drago. An explicit homage to the Fire Brigade’s air fleet which, by flying where every other vehicle stops, allowed this very young life to start running again in the meadows of Valsassina.
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