DEC Responds to Indian Lake to Rescue Moose from Ice

A Team Effort to Save a Life

It was not your typical day at the office for environmental conservation police and park rangers in the town of Indian Lake after responding to a call of a moose falling through the ice.

The Call

According to NYS Environmental Conservation Police Lt. Robert Higgins, a civilian saw the moose walking on the lake and noticed it go through the ice around 11 a.m. on Thursday.

The Rescue Effort

Higgins and his colleague responded to the call at Lake Abanakee, where they found the bull moose had fallen through the ice about 200 feet from the town beach.

“I guess there’s no training manual for getting moose out of the ice,” Higgins said. “But I met with Ranger Nahor, who showed up, and we came up with a game plan.”

The Plan

While waiting for an airboat, Higgins and his team used a chainsaw to clear the ice blocks by pushing them under the ice to get them out of the way. Once they got near the moose, getting it to move was another story.

“And we tried poking it with a couple of different things, but it didn’t seem afraid of them, so finally we pushed the jet sledges that we had up close to it, and for whatever reason, it was scared of those, so once we got behind it, we were able to direct it to the path, and it actually swam out pretty quick to shore,” Higgins explained.

The Aftermath

The moose was exhausted, shivering, and had little energy left, but it was a big deal when it finally came out and plopped itself onto the ice.

After regaining its footing about 15 minutes later, it was able to walk off safely.

“It got on its feet and started to walk off toward the road and towards a bigger patch of woods. Just an amazing sight to see that huge moose stand up right in front of us, it was great to see,” Higgins said.

Conclusion

The successful rescue of the moose was a testament to teamwork and creativity in the face of an unexpected situation. The DEC’s quick response and innovative tactics ensured the safe extraction of the moose from the icy waters.

FAQs

* What happened to the moose?
The moose fell through the ice on Lake Abanakee in Indian Lake, New York.
* How was the moose rescued?
The DEC and park rangers used a chainsaw to clear the ice blocks, and then pushed jet sledges close to the moose to scare it into swimming to shore.
* What was the outcome?
The moose was successfully rescued and was able to walk off safely after regaining its footing.