Moose rescued from frigid river in Washington

Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Wildlife officers and firefighters in Washington came to the rescue of a mother moose that fell through the ice covering a frozen river.

Paula Pershall-Gilbert said she and her husband, Bill Gilbert, spotted the moose struggling in the frigid water of the Little Spokane River from the back porch of their home in Elk.

The couple contacted the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, but officials said they initially thought the situation sounded too risky to mount a rescue.

"We initially said we wouldn't attempt a rescue because wild animals, cold weather and water are a recipe for a human to get hurt," WDFD Communications Manager Staci Lehman told KHQ-TV.

An officer was sent to assess the situation and, after consulting with the Pend Oreille Fire Department, determined a rescue could be attempted.

"It was tense," Pershall-Gilbert told KXLY-TV of the rescue. "It was so hard. It was just prayerful, all the time."

The rescuers worked for over five hours before they managed to lasso the moose and clear a path through the ice to pull the animal to shore.

The moose rested for about 10 minutes on shore before walking off and rejoining its calf, which had been watching from nearby.