A Bozeman photographer’s images show the tense rescue near Heeb Road between Belgrade and Manhattan.
MANHATTAN, Mont. — Four bull elk that broke through thin ice on a small pond near Heeb Road on Sunday were guided to safety after a helicopter skimmed low to push them toward shore, according to officials and witnesses at the scene.
The rescue drew law enforcement, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks personnel, and onlookers who had watched the elk struggle in frigid water for hours. A local pilot flying a helicopter made the difference after ground efforts failed. The episode, captured in detail by Bozeman photographer Beth Moos, ended with the elk clearing two fences and moving into a nearby field. Officials said the animals have not been seen at the site since and appear to have left the area.
Traffic on Interstate 90 slowed as drivers noticed the unusual scene late Sunday morning. Moos said she raced out after her husband phoned to say elk were stuck in the pond. She arrived to find a game warden and deputies already on the bank. “My husband called me, and I scooped up my gear right away,” Moos said. She set up with a long lens while officers tried several tactics to coax the animals free. The water was about four feet deep and ringed by fragile ice. Rescuers could not safely walk to the elk without breaking through themselves, and early attempts to melt a path and haze the animals from shore did not move them.
By early afternoon, a helicopter crew offered help. The pilot approached from the south and hovered so low the rotor wash ruffled the ice and pushed small ripples across the open water. “They got in very close. I estimated maybe 15 yards, but it was probably closer than that,” Moos said. The downwash nudged the elk toward an opening along the bank. One animal found footing first, then the others followed in quick succession. A warden moved along the fence line as the elk surged forward. “I did get a shot of the elk coming through,” Moos said. “They had to jump one fence on the shoreline, which the officer was surprised they were able to do.”
Officials said the call for help came Sunday morning after residents reported animals in distress on the pond east of Manhattan. A warden arrived and tried rubber bullets to spur movement without injuring the elk, then purchased ice melt to carve a safer channel. Neither tactic worked. The helicopter arrived later in the afternoon and, within minutes, the animals were out. The flight lasted long enough to angle the elk across the pond but not so long as to exhaust them. No injuries to rescuers were reported. Officials did not immediately release an estimate of the animals’ ages or antler scores, noting those details were secondary to the emergency response.
Thin ice incidents are common in the early winter transition when ponds freeze unevenly. Shaded stock ponds and windblown cattail margins can hide weak areas that fail under heavy hooves. In past winters around southwest Montana, wardens have fielded similar calls involving deer and elk stepping onto crusted surfaces after overnight freezes. The Heeb Road location sits in a corridor used by elk moving between agricultural fields and low benches along the Gallatin Valley, which can place traveling animals near small ponds and ditches during cold snaps. Sunday’s stuck elk were first spotted by drivers as snow flurries brushed the valley and temperatures hovered below freezing.
After the rescue, the elk cleared a second fence into a private field and kept moving. Officials said there were no plans to relocate or track the animals, since they left under their own power. Agencies were expected to review the response, which involved wardens, local officers and the civilian helicopter pilot. Any follow-up would focus on documenting the sequence of actions and noting what proved effective. No citations or landowner complaints were announced. Officials did not name the property owner near the pond where the elk broke through.
Onlookers lingered as the helicopter peeled away and the last elk stepped onto solid ground. Moos uploaded a series of images showing the approach, the push, and the final scramble. “For me, to see them rescued was just a unique experience,” she said. Her photos show ice ridges splintering at the edge of open water and the animals’ coats glazed with spray. A deputy can be seen along the fence as the elk gather themselves and run.
As of late Monday, officials said the elk had not returned to the pond. The field where they exited showed fresh tracks leading toward higher ground northwest of the site. No additional rescues were underway, and agencies said they were preparing a brief after-action summary describing the timeline and coordination.
Author note: Last updated December 2, 2025.