When Clint Gottinger headed out for a pair of towing jobs on the evening of April 26, he never imagined he would return home with a freezing young moose riding on the back of his truck.
But after spotting the exhausted animal trapped in icy water near Kelvington, Saskatchewan, the Canadian tow truck driver knew he could not simply drive away. What followed was a daring rescue that has since touched thousands online after photos shared on Gottinger’s Facebook page, Rebel Towing, went viral, earning more than 33,000 likes and 2,200 shares.
“Well that’s a first,” Gottinger wrote in the caption alongside the rescue photos shared on Rebel Towing’s Facebook page April 26. “Heading out on a couple tow jobs and seen this fella stuck in the ice. Had to help him.”
The heartwarming images show the small moose stranded in ice and water before being carefully pulled onto the back of Gottinger’s tow truck with ropes. Other photos capture the soaked animal wrapped in blankets while recovering safely at Gottinger’s property before finally wandering back into the woods.
Gottinger, the owner of Rebel Towing, later shared more details about the rescue with People, explaining that he came across the struggling animal around 5:30 p.m. while leaving home for two out-of-town jobs.
“He looked tired and defeated and I thought to myself, I cannot see the poor guy suffer and leave him there,” Gottinger told People. “I was quite certain that with my truck and equipment I had the capability to get him out.”
The moose, whom Gottinger later nicknamed “Rebel,” was reportedly stuck in “about 4 feet of water and ice.” With the animal barely able to move, Gottinger carefully backed his tow truck toward the frozen area and extended the truck’s deck toward the exhausted calf.
“So I backed up as far as I could to the water and slid my deck out right up to the moose,” he told People.
Gottinger then used a soft sling to secure the weakened animal.
“The poor guy was so exhausted he let me work around him,” he told People.
With help from a neighbor, Gottinger successfully pulled the freezing moose from the ice and onto the truck deck. But for the Saskatchewan tow truck driver, the rescue did not end there.
“He was cold, wet and tired just sitting on the tow truck deck,” Gottinger shared with People, adding that his customers that evening were “very understanding” about the unexpected delay.
As he drove home with the rescued animal, Gottinger phoned his wife with a sentence she never expected to hear.
“So as I was backing up to the house I phoned my wife and told her to bring out some blankets, ‘I have a moose on my deck!’” Gottinger told People. “She was confused but met me at the driveway with warm blankets for our new survivor.”
The couple kept the young moose on their property overnight while he recovered from the shock and cold. Photos shared online showed the animal bundled in blankets and resting quietly after the ordeal.
“I set him down on a blanket and he let us cover him up with another,” Gottinger told People. “We then just let him rest while periodically checking on him.”
The exhausted animal remained nearby the following day, slowly regaining strength.
“The next day he stayed around all day resting,” Gottinger said. “He would stand and move for a while and then he would lay down.”
By April 28, the moose appeared strong enough to return to the wild. According to Gottinger, the young animal even accepted a few affectionate head scratches before finally trotting back into the trees near the family’s property.
Though thousands of people online praised the tow truck driver’s compassion, Gottinger still managed to find humor in the unforgettable rescue.
“He had no roadside assistance or cash so I hope he comes back to pay his bill,” he joked to People.
For many online, however, the story was never really about the bill. It was about an ordinary man who saw a frightened animal struggling in the ice and chose kindness without hesitation — then stayed long after the rescue was over to make sure the little survivor made it home safely.
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