Firefighters rescued a horse from the Gage Canal in Riverside, California, after a veterinarian sedated the animal so they could lift it safely from the water with a crane.

The horse first got into the canal shortly before noon local time Saturday, the City of Riverside Fire Department said in a post on Facebook.

Although the horse got into the canal simply enough, getting it out took much longer. Safely extracting the horse from the water required a crane — and for the animal to be unconscious.

“For this to occur, the animal must be sedated so a veterinarian was requested to respond,” CRFD Battalion Chief Scott Wilson told the City News Service, a Los Angeles area wire service.

In addition to the veterinarian, the department’s specialized Horse Animal Rescue Team was also at the scene.

Almost four hours later, the responders were able to get the horse harnessed and hoisted out of the canal, and ultimately returned to its owner, fire officials said.

“Once the animal was back on the ground, the horse was further treated by the veterinarian and eventually released back to the owner. The horse and its owner were both pleased to have the horse back on terra firma,” Battalion Chief Wilson told the City News Service.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.