Currituck deputy saves wild foal trapped in canal

| July 18, 2012

Mare and foal in the canal (Nathan Large)

An off-duty Currituck County Sheriff’s Deputy, who also works for the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, rescued a foal trapped for at least five hours Tuesday in a canal on the soundside of Carova Beach.

Deputy Nathan Large, who has worked for the sheriff’s office over the past three years on beach ATV duty, was alerted by herd manager Wesley Stallings.

“There was a mare and a foal in a canal that runs parallel to the beach near the Carova Fire Station,” Large said. “They were approximately 150 to 200 yards from the closest boat ramp.”

A series of canals provides access to Knotts Island Bay from a number of properties in Carova Beach. While nearly all the developed lots have bulkheads or private boat ramps, several lots slope down to the water, and the horses use them to cross the canals or just take a swim.

“Someone posted on our Facebook page about why did it take someone so long to call,” said Corolla Wild Horse Fund Executive Director Karen McCalpin.

“Seeing horses in the canal would not raise a red flag for people who live up there, because they are in the canals all the time.”

“Betty Lane (a Wild Horse Fund volunteer) and myself tried to clap our hands and make noise and get them to head towards the ramp,” Large said.

“Next, I got a rope around the foal’s neck and tried to guide him towards the ramp, but it wasn’t working. It was working the horses up more than anything.”

The foal, estimated by McClapin to be about one month old, had started to show signs of fatigue — shaking, not moving, and dipping its head toward the water.

Large decided to take matters into his own, sizeable hands.

“I just jumped in the water, I picked him up, and just put him on the ground,” Large said. “They look like an overgrown great dane, and I was thinking this guy’s going to be like 200 pounds.

“But he was light, I was surprised . . . He didn’t buck, he didn’t try to bite me, he didn’t try to kick me, it was just as smooth as you can imagine.

Mother and baby back on land (Nathan Large)

“Then I walked and swam behind (the mare) until she got to where she could walk up out of the canal on a lot with no bulkhead.”

McCalpin says Large is being just a little modest about the rescue.

“If you’ve ever been in one of those canals … with that Carolina quicksand effect … to lift a soaking wet foal above his head and place it on the ground was a Herculean feat,” McCalpin said. “There’s just no way to say how grateful we are to him . . . He saved two lives.”

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See what people are saying:

  • barbara b says:

    Oh My – you ALL are the best!!!
    thank you!

    • on July 18, 2012 @ 5:54 pm

  • johnr says:

    Excellent job, Deputy! God bless you!

    • on July 18, 2012 @ 6:05 pm

  • RnR says:

    GREAT JOB!! Its is very refreshing to see someone jump into action to save an innocent animal. I love hearing this. Keep up the good work.

    • on July 18, 2012 @ 6:34 pm

  • Brandy says:

    GREAT JOB!!!!

    • on July 18, 2012 @ 7:26 pm

  • Abby says:

    Love hearing great stories like this!!

    • on July 18, 2012 @ 8:27 pm

  • Gar says:

    Way to go Nathan!

    • on July 18, 2012 @ 8:38 pm

  • ekim says:

    Well done LAWMAN!!

    • on July 18, 2012 @ 8:41 pm

  • Granny says:

    You make your grandmother so proud.

    • on July 18, 2012 @ 9:17 pm

  • Sue says:

    Brightened my day!!

    • on July 18, 2012 @ 9:56 pm

  • Luvthebeach says:

    Incredible job Deputy! We need more people like you on this earth!

    • on July 18, 2012 @ 10:25 pm

  • Dave says:

    Well that’s just the coolest story I read today.

    • on July 18, 2012 @ 11:04 pm

  • Cindy says:

    What a great story! Thank you for a job well done. We DO need more people like you on this earth who love and care about animals!!! Thank you Nathan!

    • on July 18, 2012 @ 11:48 pm

  • dianne says:

    Great job!! thankyou so much for saving that little guy! What a good heart you have!

    • on July 19, 2012 @ 7:33 am

  • cathleen lambert says:

    You’re the BEST!!!

    • on July 19, 2012 @ 9:10 am

  • mick burke says:

    What a saint. I hope to hear more of his good deeds in the future.

    • on July 19, 2012 @ 9:38 am

  • richard lumpkin says:

    great job some times nature need a loving hand thanks

    • on July 19, 2012 @ 9:59 am

  • KDH Rezident Evil says:

    Definitely worth a “share” on FB. Outstanding effort.

    • on July 19, 2012 @ 11:14 am

  • Linda says:

    You are a hero! I wish we could read more stories like this one!!!

    • on July 19, 2012 @ 11:49 am

  • Sherry Lynn Harrell says:

    I just wanted to say Nathan has allways been a very special young man!! Has a heart of gold….and nothing but good for this world & his community :) I LOVE YOU.. love mom :)

    • on July 19, 2012 @ 1:16 pm

  • BC says:

    Pretty work, Nathan!

    • on July 19, 2012 @ 2:04 pm

  • Lisa Marks says:

    Dakota &I are mighty proud of you: )

    • on July 19, 2012 @ 3:29 pm

  • Trudy from Lynchburg where you were raised says:

    wow, way to go Nathan!!!!

    • on July 19, 2012 @ 3:31 pm

  • Andra says:

    News like this warms the cockles of my heart!

    • on July 19, 2012 @ 3:59 pm

  • Wild Horse Advocate says:

    Bravo to the Deputy “BUT” I have to ask “WHY” did it take the Corolla Wild Horse Fund to act on this if they knew the foal was in the water for 5 hours?? They obviously got a call from someone and God forbid this deputy was “on” duty for the police, then what would have happened?? This is a constant problem with these horses! They are always in danger but most people don’t see it that way, they just see the beauty in them! Sit back and really look at the big picture everyone! They are being “Exploited” by all involved for money and profit for vacationers to come and spend money otherwise they would be more protected and removed to a safer place! JMO & Many others behind me! Also, CWHF, always removes posts like this on their FaceBook page because they know it’s so true! They always twist the truth to make you all believe they are doing the right thing!

    • on July 19, 2012 @ 5:47 pm

  • OBX Mom says:

    Nathan Large God bless you for a job well done you must have a heart of gold!

    • on July 19, 2012 @ 8:14 pm

  • Melissa Shell says:

    We have some amazing deputies on our Sheriff’s Department, and we are very fortunate to have Deputy Nathan Large as one of them. You just can’t beat a good ole southern boy!

    • on July 20, 2012 @ 11:11 am

  • Nancy Talley says:

    To Wild Horse Advocate:
    Perhaps you should volunteer with CWHF instead of wasting all your energy speaking about things you obviously have little information about. The horses biggest danger is human destruction of their habitat. I live 450 miles from the OBX and i still volunteer by fostering foals. Put up or shut up.

    • on July 20, 2012 @ 6:04 pm

  • oh wow says:

    Get out of here, Wild Horse Advocate! When’s the last time YOU saved a wild foal from a canal?

    GREAT JOB, DEPUTY! So thrilled to have read this story. WONDERFUL!

    • on July 22, 2012 @ 10:09 am

  • Apryl Knobbe says:

    Great job! Thank u!

    • on July 25, 2012 @ 10:37 pm

  • Hannah Large says:

    Good job brother!! :)

    • on November 2, 2012 @ 3:06 pm

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