Dramatic horse rescue takes place on beach

Astro the horse was saved after becoming engulfed in a mud 'like quicksand' on a beach in Geelong, south of Melbourne. The horse was out with its owner, equine dentist Nicole Graham, when it began to sink. Nicole waited with the animal for three hours as the tide crept in. Eventually rescue teams arrived and the horse was freed by a tractor. The young mother said: "It was terrifying. It was also heartbreaking to see my horse exhausted and struggling. When I saw the dust from the rescue trucks I was so relieved. I was starting to get overwhelmed." Astro escaped serious injury and suffered little more than some bruising.