Coast Guard to rescue stranded horses

MONROE, Louisiana (CNN) -- The Coast Guard was planning Wednesday to rescue more than a dozen horses stranded in northeast Louisiana by inland flooding, officials from the agenct said.

As many as 15 horses of varying ages were stranded in an inland area near Monroe after a stream flooded, said Lt. Cmdr. Al Carver.

He said two helicopters outfitted with cargo nets and hooks were headed to the area Wednesday morning to airlift the larger horses to higher ground. The smaller horses would be carried out by barge, Carver said.

The initial plan called for the horses to be placed in harnesses or slings that would be hooked to a line connected to the helicopter. The animals would be hoisted one by one. The procedure is normally used to transport crates and barrels, Carver said.

Carver said an Alexandria emergency management center contacted the Coast Guard Tuesday night to request help with the rescue.

"The report we got was there was a stream, and upstream there was a dam, and the water had already gone over the dam by about four feet," Carver said.

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