A startled horse dragging a carriage dashed into the Missouri River along the St. Charles riverfront and drowned in the frigid water Wednesday night as handlers looked on, unable to help.

The horse was spooked about 9:45 p.m. when its handler from St. Louis Carriage Company removed a blinder from the horse’s eyes and prepared to put the animal on a trailer to take back to a barn, according to St. Charles Fire Chief Dan Casey. The Percheron draft horse took off running, pulling an empty carriage behind it. The carriage struck and damaged several vehicles in a parking lot near the Lewis and Clark Boat House before the horse ran down a ramp into the river.

Casey said the 13-year-old horse, named Cash, weighed between 1,800 and 2,000 pounds and was pulling a 1,400-pound carriage.

Greg Streeter, who owns St. Louis Carriage Company, said the horse saw the water and tried to stop or turn but slid into the river.

“We are mourning the loss of a family member,” he said. “It happened really fast. Within 30 seconds he was under and down.”

The horse died within minutes of going into the water due to the frigid temperatures, Casey said. The river was cold enough it carried chunks of ice on the surface.