Late yesterday afternoon, the Colorado South Metro Technical Rescue Team got an unusual call. A horse named Cupcake had fallen in knee-deep water, and couldn’t manage to rise herself. Her owner wouldn’t leave her side. It was time for the experts to pull on their boots and wade into the situation.

As they explained to KFOR, the team can’t usually talk about their job for privacy reasons. But since their charge this time was a horse, not a human, they took the opportunity to show the public their work, via a series of dramatic Tweets posted over the course of the two-hour rescue.

The first wave of responders shielded Cupcake from the sun, kept her head above water, and comforted her while more team members hiked up with rescue tools. But when the tools arrived, the horse was so exhausted, it was difficult for her to push herself out.

So they called in Cupcake’s veterinarian, who gave her some fluids to help her stand up. (Note: some of the Tweets say “Buttercup” due to an initial patient misidentification, later corrected.) Finally, helped by a contraption made of ropes and pulleys, Cupcake stood up, dazed. The team managed to guide her all the way out of the mud and back on safe ground—tired, but safe.

Every day, we track down a fleeting wonder—something amazing that’s only happening right now. Have a tip for us? Tell us about it! Send your temporary miracles to cara@atlasobscura.com.