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Ramona, CA January 2004 Kris DeBoelpaep was traveling back from New Mexico the night the Cedar Fire hit Mussey Grade Road. That night, her husband, Georges, was awakened around 11pm by a phone call from Kathy Mitchell, a friend of his and Kris’ who lived about 20 minutes away in the San Diego Estates. Kathy explained that the Estates were being evacuated and needed Georges to come get her horses and take them back to his place where she thought they would be safe. Georges did so and then returned to the Estates to help Kathy move other horses. When Georges returned to his house a couple of hours later, he called Kathy to tell her she needed to come get her horses because his property was now on fire. Kathy’s neighbor, Joe, drove her back to Georges’ just as Georges was pulling out with two horses loaded in his trailer and the third, Diosa, tethered behind. Diosa was a rescue horse and spooked easily, so when she refused to load, Georges had no choice but to tie a rope around her neck and drag her behind the trailer. By this time his house was engulfed in flames. As Joe positioned his trailer, Kathy disappeared into the smoke and quickly emerged with one of her horses, which loaded without incident. While Kathy went back in for her other horse, Joe called his wife to tell her he didn’t think they were going to make it out alive, as the fire had consumed most of the DeBoelpaep’s property. Then, out of nowhere, Kathy emerged with her second horse, which also loaded without incident. As they headed up Mussey Grade, Joe and Kathy caught up with Georges, who was stopped in the middle of the road with Diosa lying on her side; she had stumbled and fallen due to abscesses in her hooves. As she fell, the rope tethering her to the trailer snapped tight around her neck, causing immediate nerve damage to the entire right side of her body. A police officer approached with his gun drawn, threatening to shoot her if Georges didn’t get her back on her feet, which he did with Kathy and Joe’s help. Kris moved her horses to a stable at the edge of town where Diosa could receive medical treatment. At the time this picture was taken, Diosa had regained almost all of her balance and coordination. |