A young colt that was about to become a meal for hungry caimans is happily galloping today thanks to a daring rescue by Border Police officers in Costa Rica.

Earlier this week, a Border Police aquatic unit was navigating the Agua Dulce bayou of the Colorado River, located in the northern Caribbean region of Costa Rica, when they noticed a group of caimans paying close attention to something splashing in the water.

According to a press release by the Ministry of Public Security, the Border Police officers maneuvered their small boat towards the splashing to get a closer look. It so happened that a very young colt, barely a few weeks past its suckling foal stage, had fallen into the murky waters of the bayou.

The colt was stuck and unable to make its way to shore. The equine desperation was sensed by a group of caimans, which are abundant in the region. The officers proceeded to help out of the water while keeping a close eye on the caimans, which are known to become upset if their preparations to feed are interrupted.

The rescue effort was not so easy; the colt was desperately tangled in the bog that accumulates at the bottom of the Colorado bayous, which turn into wetlands towards the west and into mangroves closer to the Caribbean.

It took about 20 minutes before the officers, some of whom had to jump into the water, were able to drag the exhausted colt to shore. The caimans watched the scene with curiosity before slithering away to look for other feeding opportunities.

Once on terra firma, the colt became animated and jumped across the brush before going full gallop towards a barn in distance, happily neighing along the way. Meanwhile, back at the bayou, the officers resumed their patrol.