Watch Two Heroic Firefighters Pull a Massive Elk Out of a Frozen Pond

When you think of firefighters, you probably think of ladders and water hoses. However, firefighters do more than fight fires. In the video below, you see what happens when they’re called to an unusual scene involving wildlife.

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What Types of Rescues Are Firefighters Responsible For?

Firefighters have several responsibilities as first responders, including navigation, accessing locked buildings, and creating a passage when there’s an obstruction. They also deliver first aid and care since many of the calls they respond to are unrelated to fire. In terms of rescue procedures, they make attempts to rescue any person who might be trapped or in danger. They also do the same for pets and when all human and pet lives are secured, they may also focus on farm animals and wildlife.

Many firefighters are volunteers, meaning they don’t earn money from the position and do it in their free time. However, there are some paid firefighting positions. When they aren’t doing their main job, they don’t just sit around the firehouse. Some duties include maintaining their equipment and keeping the fire station clean and organized.

Where Do Elk Live in Colorado?

West of the Continental Divide is where most of Colorado’s elk population is found. Elk gravitate to mountain shrub and aspen habitats and despite their tendency to roam through remote wilderness regions of the state, they are on occasion spotted in neighborhoods — sometimes in a herd and sometimes alone.

​In the early 1900s, only 40,000 elk remained in all of North America. However, through conservation efforts, people have been able to help grow elk populations back to thriving numbers. Now more than 280,000 animals live in the state of Colorado alone. People come to both view their majesty and hunt them in order to preserve herd health. This animal is now revered as the symbol of the American West and plays a role in the state’s ecology and history.

Firefighters Rescue Elk

When the video below starts, there are two firefighters hard at work in the snow. Right in front of them, there’s a struggling elk that has fallen into a frozen pond. There’s some ice and slush on top of the water but the elk is neck deep, trying to accept the help it’s receiving from the two firefighters. They’ve made their way through portions of the ice but one of the firefighters pauses for a second and reassesses the situation.

It seems a new idea has taken over and he leans forward, grabbing the elk by its ear, leading it toward the edge of the water. The elk understands immediately and tries propping its two front legs up onto the snow. The second firefighter notices and immediately assists, reaching out to help the elk. As the elk lifts its left leg up again, the firefighter grabs hold of it. The second firefighter still has hold of its ear until he can secure a hold on the elk’s right leg.

Both firefighters stand, each holding one leg, and begin using their combined strength to pull the elk out of the water. It’s no easy task but the elk is on board with the rescue mission and the three of them work together as a team. The elk uses its hind legs as much as it can to push itself out of the water while the men tug on its front legs. At one point, one of the firefighters loses grip and falls back a few steps.