WATCH: Colorado Firefighters Rescue Elk Who Fell Through Icy Pond
Last week, some firefighters in Evergreen were doing typical "hero" things, but this time for a four legged community member who found herself in a bit of a jam.
Citizens spotted an elk who had gotten too far away from the edge of the pond looking for a drink and fallen through the ice, stuck and struggling to get out. They did the right thing and called 911.
Crews from Evergreen Fire/Rescue arrived on the scene to find the elk in frigid water, unable to climb up on a sturdy edge of the hole to pull herself out.
Initially they tried to cut a channel in the ice for the elk to navigate to the edge and get herself out, but that plan didn't seem to be working. Time being of the essence, they finally decided to do it the hard way and pull her out themselves.
The crew didn't know how long the elk had been in the frigid water, but as you can see in the video, after taking a moment to collect herself, she seemed well enough pretty quickly to leave the area.
For their part, the fine folks at Evergreen Fire/Rescue have used this opportunity to remind people not to walk out on any ice. Especially as the weather fluctuates between cold and warmer, then cold again, the ice likely isn't stable enough to hold the weight of humans or pets.
If you spot any people or pets on - or worse, stuck in - the ice, you should not attempt to go out to save them and instead should call 911.