Forest Rangers Save Moose Trapped in Frozen New York Lake

Forest rangers in New York pulled off a dramatic rescue, using chainsaws to free a moose trapped in the icy waters of Lake Abanakee. 🌐 #News #IndianLakeNY #NewYork #Accident

INDIAN LAKE, NY – Forest rangers and conservation officers in New York recently undertook a daring rescue to save a moose that plunged through the ice on Lake Abanakee. A newly released video reveals the intense efforts and quick thinking required to free the stranded animal—all without the aid of a “training manual.”

Moose Falls Through Ice on Lake Abanakee

The rescue began on January 16 in the town of Indian Lake when a local spotted the moose in distress around 11 a.m. and called for help. Responders from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation arrived to find the animal trapped about 100 yards from the shore, surrounded by thick ice and unable to escape.

“It was good that we knew when the moose went in and we knew that time wasn’t on our side,” Forest Ranger Evan Nahor explained in the video released Tuesday. “It wasn’t going to take forever for us to do what we had to do.”

Quick Thinking and Chainsaws to the Rescue

Faced with the urgency of the situation, the team quickly devised a bold plan.

“We came up with a game plan to say, ‘hey, let’s see if we can start cutting the channel and see if we can get this moose out of there,’” said Environmental Conservation Police Lt. Robert Higgins.

He noted that such rescues come with unique challenges: “There’s no training manual for getting moose out of the ice.”

Video footage shows the rescuers using chainsaws to carve a narrow channel through the ice, creating a path to guide the moose to safety.

“We all knew our role and we were all working together,” said Forest Ranger Matt Savarie.

“We were able to cut that path and get the ice out of the way and just move pretty seamlessly.”

A Triumphant Escape

With the icy path cleared, Nahor and Savarie donned cold-water rescue suits and carefully approached the moose.

Using sleds, they coaxed the animal along the channel. Despite enduring approximately two hours in the freezing water, the moose found the strength to climb onto solid ground.

The dramatic video shows the moose making several attempts to stand before finally regaining its balance. Once on its feet, the animal wasted no time retreating into the safety of the woods, leaving rescuers relieved and triumphant – and the moose in good spirits.

RELATED TOPICS: Accidents and Rescues | Animals | New York