First responders saved a moose that fell through lake ice in New York. Here’s how they did it

The moose fell through the ice around 11 a.m. Thursday , about 200 feet ( 60 meters ) from shore on Lake Abanakee .

Officials used a chainsaw to cut away sections of ice connecting the area where the moose broke through to a thicker section of ice.

They navigated a path across the lake, following the thickest path without breaking through, and knelt on sleds to distribute their weight.

Moose can die from hypothermia, and they can’t easily climb onto ice once they have fallen through into water.