Floppy the thoroughbred with his owner Rebecca Moana. © Rebecca Moana

By Ellie Jolley

A horse that was swept away in floodwaters in NSW was found 24 hours later waiting for breakfast at his feed bin.

Floppy the thoroughbred disappeared from his agistment paddock on Sunday the 9th of February as heavy rain caused flash flooding in the region.

Floppy’s owner Rebecca Moana said the paddocks at Kangy Angy on the Central Coast situated between Newcastle and Sydney became flooded very quickly.

“The lady who owns the agistment property said one minute it was raining and the next there was a river outside her window,” Rebecca said.

“I was in shock. I believed he’d been swept out to Chittaway Creek and that we’d find him in a bundle somewhere,” she said.

“I was also feeling guilty for not knowing that flash flooding could occur in our area, for leaving a rug on him in the rain, for not checking on him Sunday morning before we had to leave, and for not spending as much time as I possibly could with him before it happened.”

“I was afraid I had lost him for good… without saying goodbye, or thank you, or I’m sorry.”

Floppy’s agistment paddock on the Central Coast during the flash flooding event that carried him downstream. © Rebecca Moana

After discovering that Floppy was missing, Rebecca began desperately searching for him as the water levels continued to rise and the daylight ran out.

“Someone actually came out with their jet ski and searched the property, but he couldn’t find Floppy,” she said. 

“We lost contact with him and the SES had to come and rescue him. But they wouldn’t look for Floppy due to the conditions.”

“I went home and did the Facebook post and had to look after my toddler while my mum, husband, and lots of people went out looking upstream before it got dark.”

“They were also door knocking in the area to get people to look out for him. Someone reached out to me to organise a search party for him for the following morning as well,” Rebecca said.

But as darkness descended, the search for Floppy had to be called off and Rebecca spent an anxious night wondering what had become of her four-legged best friend.

The next morning as Rebecca returned to the agistment property to continue her search, she found a wet and bedraggled Floppy patiently waiting for his breakfast at his feed bowl.

“Honestly, I didn’t believe it until I was right up next to him. I was beyond relieved,” she said.

“It was a miracle that he didn’t get swept far away, made it all the way up his paddock in his state, and for simply being alive.”

“We don’t know where exactly he got stuck but we were thinking he got pinned against a tree or bushes by logs and debris in the flash flood, and once it moved away overnight he was able to swim through the river and back to his paddock.”

“Due to his injuries though, I don’t think he could have been too far away,” she said.

Floppy sustained cuts and bruises and developed severe muscle breakdown but was overjoyed to be back home. He is now on the mend thanks to the care of his vet and family.

“I made a promise to spend more time with him even if that means dragging my toddler to the paddock every day,” Rebecca said.

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