Canada Geese Rescued After Trapped in Montville River Ice

MONTVILLE, CT – Montville emergency responders rescued two Canada Geese on Wednesday after the birds got stuck in ice.

Montville Animal Control Officer Bruce Rebelo was dispatched at about 10:16 a.m. to Kitemaug Road in Uncasville to help the geese, according to police.

When he arrived, Rebelo discovered the birds were alive, but frozen into the ice-covered surface of a cove on the western side of the Thames River.

Montville firefighters came to help, with assistance from the Mohegan Fire Department and Mohegan Tribal Fire Department.

Firefighters Mitchell Dole and Donald Ellis made the rescue, which involved one rescuer crawling out onto the ice while attached to a rope. Once the birds were out of the ice, Rebelo took the geese for rehabilitation at a nearby facility, police said.

Police Lt. David Radford said the geese were taken to the Waterford Country School's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Radford said Friday one of the geese died after the ordeal, while the other was alive and expected to recover.

"We did the best we could, and one of them didn't make it unfortunately," Radford said.