What started as a normal day of snowboarding turned into an epic rescue story.
While celebrating his 21st birthday in the snow-laden Chilean Andes, Rafael Pease spotted something unusual sticking out of the snow. At first glance, Pease wrote it off as a rock, but soon realised that he and his friend had come across a real, flesh and blood horse. The poor creature was trapped in the 4ft-deep snow—cold, hungry and alone.
The snowboarding pair could have left the horse on its own. They could have chosen to leave nature to take its course, and let the animal pass on right there in the cold—but they knew better. As Pease put it: ‘I have been through a lot in life, and through it all I have realised that it’s well worth it to watch out for others—whether they are human or not.’
Rafael and his riding partner trekked over with some snow shovels and dug the horse free from its icy encasement. After giving her some food to help the poor creature regain a bit of strength, Pease and his friend led the horse back down the mountain and managed to reunite her with her owner. The owner informed the pair that the horse had been missing for four days, and would have almost certainly died in the cold had it not been for the kindness of the snowboarders’ hearts.
This is definitely a 21st birthday Rafael will surely never forget.