Horses missing after flood put Overland Park pasture 10 feet under water

As an overnight rainstorm pounded Sherra Schuck’s home on Thursday, the last thing she feared was that her two horses could float away in a flood.

They’re now missing. Schuck and concerned persons along Wolf Creek in south Overland Park on Saturday continued to search — with the help of video drones — for Agapey, a chestnut quarterhorse, and Lytia, a white Arabian.

“Dead or alive, I want them back,” Schuck said of the pair, ages 17 and 31. “I have had both of these horses since they were babies.”

She kept the animals in an open barn and pasture on a friend’s property near 179th Street and U.S. 69. As much as 10 feet of water deluged the area and barreled east toward the Blue River.

Schuck, who lives miles away in Prairie Village, spent the stormy night in a home that had lost power. When electric service was restored in the morning, she saw the flooding scenes on TV.

“It wasn’t until then that I realized, ‘Oh my God,’ ” Schuck said. “This flood wasn’t from a three-day rain event. It happened so fast nobody could prepare.”

Upon arriving at the pasture, Schuck found an empty barn inundated with water, timber and other debris racing in the currents, but no Lytia or Agapey.

“My guess is one got spooked and the other said, ‘I’m coming with you,’ ” said Officer John Lacy of the Overland Park police. “By now someone may have found them wandering around and put them in their own pasture.”

As rare as it is in Overland Park for flooding to carry off or frighten away horses, Lacy said this was the second such occurrence in recent weeks. Another pair of horses were found and rescued near Pleasant Ridge Middle School after severe rains earlier in July.

Schuck said she feared that the older Lytia “didn’t have the strength to fight the currents.” If both have died, she would like to bury them.

A local company, Drones on Demand, has donated its time and camera gear to help in the search. Schuck said she also hopes property owners along Wolf Creek and Blue River will inspect their grounds.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Overland Park Police Department at 913-895-9300.

This story was originally published July 29, 2017 at 2:22 PM with the headline "Horses missing after flood put Overland Park pasture 10 feet under water."