I didn't see this posted here, maybe it's just me, but with all the negative news I thought it would be a nice read. (if you hit a paywall, disable javascript for the full story)
By
Colin Tiernan
The Spokesman-Review
In the early morning, 12 elk were freezing to death in the Kettle River south of Barstow, in Ferry County.
Six of the animals didn’t survive the day. But the other six did, thanks to more than two dozen men and women who spent their Christmas Eve rescuing them from the frigid water.
Brothers-in-law Jeff Stuart and Jordan Fish were out coyote hunting at around 7 a.m. Dec. 24 when they saw cows and calves that had fallen through the ice and gotten trapped. About 40 elk stood on the far side of the river. They’d either crossed successfully or opted against it when they saw what happened to the first 12.
Stuart called his wife, Rylee Stuart, to let her know he was going to get some rope in Barstow, then head out onto the ice to try and pull the struggling animals out.
“I told him I thought that was a terrible idea,” Rylee Stuart said. “My husband, he’s a very stocky man, so he’s not very light, and so him on the thin ice — I thought that was a terrible idea.”
‘We would all do it again’: Rescuers save elk trapped in Kettle River ice in Ferry County
Jan. 1, 2022 at 6:00 am Updated Jan. 1, 2022 at 2:13 pmBy
Colin Tiernan
The Spokesman-Review
In the early morning, 12 elk were freezing to death in the Kettle River south of Barstow, in Ferry County.
Six of the animals didn’t survive the day. But the other six did, thanks to more than two dozen men and women who spent their Christmas Eve rescuing them from the frigid water.
Brothers-in-law Jeff Stuart and Jordan Fish were out coyote hunting at around 7 a.m. Dec. 24 when they saw cows and calves that had fallen through the ice and gotten trapped. About 40 elk stood on the far side of the river. They’d either crossed successfully or opted against it when they saw what happened to the first 12.
Stuart called his wife, Rylee Stuart, to let her know he was going to get some rope in Barstow, then head out onto the ice to try and pull the struggling animals out.
“I told him I thought that was a terrible idea,” Rylee Stuart said. “My husband, he’s a very stocky man, so he’s not very light, and so him on the thin ice — I thought that was a terrible idea.”
