Elk in Colorado Rescued From Icy Pond After ‘Ignoring’ Signs

It's the time of year when temperatures fluctuate, causing ponds and lakes to look safer than they really are. Of course, elk cannot read signs to stay off the water, so there's always the chance that a rescue may be necessary.

Luckily, some folks in the neighborhood saw the elk go into the water and called authorities, who arrived quickly. They assessed the situation and got to work, getting her back to dry land.

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The cow elk, let's call her "Eleanor," fell into a pond in a little neighborhood in Evergreen, Colorado, on Monday, March 6, 2023. Apparently, there are signs posted in the area to stay off the ice for safety. Evergreen Fire/Rescue poked a little fun at Eleanor's inability to understand the signs:

EFR is on scene for another elk who ignored warnings about thin ice. More updates to follow.

Nearly a half-dozen personnel arrived at the scene to help Eleanor out of the freezing water. It must have been scary for both the rescuers and the elk; the rescuers were fearful of also falling into the water, and perhaps being injured by the elk during the rescue, and the elk was just scared of the whole thing.

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Evergreen Fire/Rescue ended up using a chainsaw to create a path for Eleanor, and poles to help get her into position for getting out. It's good that these professionals know what they're doing. things could go "sideways" quick.

After all, was said and done, Eleanor the elk were out of the water and safe. She was cold but OK, None of the rescue team was injured, either.