A truck driver noticed the protruding legs of a moose stuck in the snow (5 photos)
This is Wayne Rowley, a truck driver for a logging company in British Columbia, Canada, and last week he saved someone else's life.
It happened Thursday morning while the man was driving his truck. He noticed something strange, as if sticking out from under the deep snow cover along the road.
The picture flashed so quickly that Rowley did not have time to realize what exactly it was. So he decided to stop.
It was great luck that the driver did just that, because in the thick snow he found an unfortunate freezing animal! His situation was so difficult that Rowley was almost sure that the poor fellow was dead. But still the man decided to take a closer look.
“It was a little moose upside down,” Rowley said. “I sank into the snow to check if he was alive, and... the elk calf looked at me!”
The driver realized that he had a chance to help the unfortunate animal.
“I couldn’t leave the poor guy,” he says. “I knew I had to do everything I could to get him out and help him get back on his feet.” Rowley grabbed the small shovel he always carries in his truck and started digging.
“He was lying straight upside down with his hooves in the air, and the more he moved, the deeper he burrowed into the snow,” Rowley said. “I widened the hole next to him so he could roll over and stand up.” The snow was approximately 6 feet deep, so it took me a long time! But I think the calf understood what I was doing and did not resist.”
Thirty minutes later, Rowley's efforts were successful. He asked his colleague for help, and together they were finally able to pull the elk calf out using a rope.
“He stood up and looked at me again,” Rowley said. “Then he stepped onto the path that I had made from the road and slowly walked away...”
With joy in his heart, Rowley climbed back into his truck and continued on his way. He never met the little elk again. “I haven’t seen this baby’s mother, but I think he probably found her,” Rowley says.
After the publicity of this story, in response to admiration for his action, the man briefly and modestly replies: “I just did what I had to do, that’s all.”
Fortunately, Rowley acted according to his conscience - and saved the little life! Such an act is worthy of a real man and a Man with a capital M!