EMERY COUNTY, Utah — Mike Nordenstrom recently found himself in an unexpected role as a hero when he rescued a bighorn sheep trapped in the icy waters of the San Rafael River.
“Every step of the way, everything had to go perfectly for this to have a happy ending,” he said.
Nordenstrom was riding his e-bike along the San Rafael River on Monday morning when he stopped to take a photo and spotted something unusual.
“That is when I saw the bighorn sheep stuck in the river, in the ice, struggling to get out,” he said. “His hind legs were in the water in the front of me, he just couldn't get any traction, and I felt terrible.”
With no one around for miles, Nordenstrom noticed a nearby tree trunk, which he saw as his only hope to help the struggling animal, he said. Despite the inherent risks, he made a quick decision.
“I grabbed that tree trunk with my left hand, and with my right, I reached over and grabbed his horn,” Nordenstrom said. “I just started pulling, and he kicked and struggled, but in a seamless moment, he came right up out of the water and onto the ice shelf.”
While the successful rescue itself felt surreal, Nordenstrom admitted that his biggest fear wasn’t the danger of the ice breaking under their combined weight, but being head-butted by the animal once it was freed.
“I kept thinking, ‘You’re either really brave or really dumb,’” he said with a laugh. “But it worked out!”
Miraculously, Nordenstrom and the bighorn sheep walked unharmed away from the ice.
“I told him that things were going to be fine,” he said. “We had a little moment, a little chat with him. He didn't make a sound. He was just silent, just looking at me.”
Despite the unusual circumstances, Nordenstrom couldn’t help but feel a deep connection with the animal.
“I just have a bond with them, I guess,” he said. “I didn't want him to be suffering in that situation. I mean, I did think if I was on the ice, and it became too perilous, that I wouldn't go through with it. But luckily, it just kept going so well that I just kept going. It almost felt like I knew I was okay. I just needed to keep going.”
