Recently, a resident discovered a black, furry creature that had fallen into an icy lake and immediately called for help. The Evergreen Fire Rescue (EFR) team responded swiftly, rescuing the creature, which turned out to be the pet of a grateful owner.
According to reports from The Dodo, the incident occurred in Evergreen, Colorado. EFR received an emergency call about a strange black animal that had accidentally fallen into the center of a frozen pond. The animal appeared to be in distress, creating a critical situation.
When rescuers arrived on the scene, they were surprised to find that the creature was actually a three-year-old yak trapped beneath thick ice in the pond. Unable to swim back to shore, the yak was struggling in the frigid water, facing life-threatening conditions. Einar Jensen from EFR noted that fortunately, all firefighters had received ice rescue training. They quickly used a chainsaw to cut a long path through the ice from the shore to the yak's location. Thankfully, the pond was not very deep; otherwise, the situation could have been much worse.
As firefighters approached the yak, they expected it to panic and struggle due to fear. However, they were taken aback by its calm demeanor. Despite being in such a harsh environment, the yak cooperated fully with the rescuers. Jensen mentioned that firefighters even used a long pole to help lift its nose above water to prevent drowning. Throughout the entire rescue process, the yak remained remarkably calm—whether due to its temperament or because it had become numb from the cold was uncertain.
After several minutes and with patient guidance from the firefighters, the yak finally stepped onto the cut ice path and made its way back to shore. Once on solid ground, it paused briefly and looked back at its rescuers as if to express gratitude before slowly returning to its herd.
The entire rescue operation took only 45 minutes. Following this successful mission, EFR received a call from the yak's owner expressing heartfelt thanks for their assistance. The owner explained that this black yak is their pet and had accidentally strayed away during a walk before falling into the icy lake. Fortunately, it has since recovered at home, and precautions will be taken to prevent it from going missing again.
