Incredible moment a HORSE is winched up by a helicopter after he and his rider got stuck in deep mud along the Santa Ana River in California

Members of the Riverside County Fire Department spent Easter Sunday saving a horse named Conquistador who got himself stuck in the mud.

The Caballero horse was trapped in the mud for nearly 24 hours along the Santa Ana River in California before rescuers came to his aid. 

According to KTLA 5, the fire department responded to a call at 2700 block of Shadow Canyon Circle in Eastvale at around 1:40 pm yesterday.

An animal rescue team in Norco was also brought to the scene to help rescue Conquistador - and the horse was safely flown out of the muddy area via helicopter.

The Riverside County Fire Department responded to a call on Easter after a horse named Conquistador was found stuck in mud at the Santa Ana River

Conquistador was stuck in the mud for nearly 24 hours before he was rescued by the fire department, CAL FIRE, and a RCFD helicopter

Conquistador's rider was found uninjured by officials shortly before 4:30 pm. 

The incident began after two riders lost control of their horses, one of them being Conquistador and his owner.

'My husband and his friend were riding the horses last night. Both of them got spooked...,' one of the rider's wives Diana Solis told KCAL News.

'They've been looking for the horses since last night.'

It's unclear what may have spooked the horses, but animals can be found in the Santa Anna River area include lizards and snakes.  

Officials did not clarify where and when the other horse was found, but the animal was safe.

Norco residents who lived near the area first spotted Conquistador after they spotted an X post made by the CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department.

Other than the Riverside County Fire Department and the animal rescue officials, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the county sheriff.

Conquistador's owner and a water rescue team eventually went to the horse by boat while the area's residents were watching. 

Officials found Conquistador's rider just before 4:30. He was uninjured and had been looking for Conquistador for awhile

Conquistador is now back with his owner once a veterinarian finished examining him after he was flown back to dry land

'I was kind of trying to see if he might've been kind of below his neck, but luckily you could see his wither and his back,' Norco Resident Kendall Rinkan told KCAL News.

The rescue team paddled over to Conquistador safely but the horse had trouble making it out of the mud. Conquistador was found to be suffering from exhaustion and collapsed in the mud during his rescue.

The helicopter was called in shortly afterward and managed to get Conquistador out of the mud and back to dry land.

CAL FIRE Battalion Chief Alex Paul said that's important for individuals to pay attention to 'rain and flash flood warnings.'

'The Santa Ana River typically has flash floods, even after the rain has stopped,' he added.

Conquistador's owner and a rescue team paddled over to him but he had trouble getting out of the mud due to exhaustion

One of the rider's wives told told KCAL News that the two of them lost control of their horses after the animals were spooked by something

A veterinarian examined Conquistador after he was rescued and he appeared to have no serious injuries. 

The horse has since been returned to its owner.

Daily Mail has reached out to the Riverside County Fire Department for comment.