Oil workers in Yamal spent six hours rescuing a herd of reindeer from an ice bog
© RIA Novosti. Alexey Kudenko

Oil workers in Yamal spent six hours rescuing a herd of reindeer from an ice bog

Yamal oilfield workers helped local inhabitants rescue a herd of reindeer from a bog, the autonomous area government's website reports.

"The animals strayed into a bog and were on the verge of death. The herd owners — the Pyak brothers, Yury and Anatoly — asked Gazpromneft-Muravlenko Company for help," says the report.

Ten workers located the nearest to the emergency site manned a rescue operation that lasted six hours.

"Although the body of water is still ice-clad at the depth of one meter, the rescuers selflessly plunged into water to free the animals from captivity. The desire to rescue the herd outweighed the cold and other natural difficulties," said the website.

The website also quotes a rescuer, Maxim Volkovsky, as saying that they came to the site "and saw exhausted animals on the verge of death. They were worn out after a long struggle in the water. They were neck-deep in the bog and almost without strength. We started the rescue operation immediately. It's pleasant to realize that we have compassionate employees who are always ready to help."

By their own efforts and with the help of special equipment, the rescue team managed to drag 70 reindeer out of the bog while losing only four animals to the extreme cold. The owner, Yury Pyak, thanked the rescuers from the bottom of his heart.