Nicole Graham and her daughter were having an idyllic day with their horses galloping on the beach when something terrible happened. The riders encountered a deep patch of mud along Geelong Beach in Australia and their horses began to sink. Her daughter’s lighter horse was able to work its way free, but Graham’s beloved Astro was trapped. He slowly began to sink deeper and deeper while Graham was forced to watch helplessly from his side.
She clung to his neck for nearly three hours as the tides began to rise. Graham and some volunteers desperately tried to free Astro from a horrible death, but their efforts were in vain. With almost no time left, a local farmer arrived with some equipment he hoped would free the poor beast. Local veterinarians arrived to administer a sedative and Graham was pulled away from her loving steed. Unbelievably the farmer was able to extract Astro, and the brave old horse escaped without serious injury.