Ōpōtiki man rescues horse from flooded river, despite ankle bracelet
Thursday, 5 June 2025
A horseman on a court-ordered curfew rescued another horse from a flooded river in Ōpōtiki - and he says he’d do it again.
Chase Gage (Ngāti Ira / Whakatōhea), a 30-year-old father-of-four, said he got a call from his uncle early on Thursday morning about a horse stranded in the Waioeka River as wild weather hit the region.
Gage said they initially believed the horse belonged to their whānau, and Gage said he knew he had to act, despite the fact he is currently wearing an ankle bracelet.
His partner called Gage’s Probation Officer for permission as Gage prepared to head to the scene and quickly received approval.
He knew that some of his daughter’s horses were kept nearby and called her for permission to use one, Kōtiro, in the rescue.
Gage and Kōtiro then headed into the swollen rescue and video shows Gage, an experienced horseman, delivering a well-aimed slap on the stricken horse’s backside to speed its journey back to the safety of the bank.
With Gage at the reins, Kōtiro then fought against the current to drive the other horse out of the water.
He told Stuff that he and his whānau are well-known around town for their horsemanship and this wasn’t the first time he had been called on to rescue an animal.
He said he would not hesitate to act again if an animal needed his help.
He is now safely back at home, watching TV as acclaim pours in online.
“The bro knows his whenua, awa and hōiho,” one person wrote. “Bravery is rare these days,” another said.
A Corrections spokesperson confirmed that Gage had contacted his Probation Officer and was issued with approval, meaning no breach of his conditions occurred.
“Each absence request is assessed on a range of factors, including previous compliance, offending risks and additional mitigations, as well as the necessity for the absence and whether it meets criteria,” they said.
“To ensure the information we have received is correct, Corrections also carries out a verification process. Our electronic monitoring technology allows the person’s location to be monitored throughout the duration of the absence.”
An earlier version of this story said Chase Gage breached his curfew to rescue the horse, but he had sought and received approval to do so beforehand. (Amended 3.20pm on June 5, 2025).