Moose crowded by onlookers on shore drowns in lake

A moose drowned in Lake Champlain after people crowded around the animal to take its picture, Vermont wildlife officials said.

Fish and Wildlife Warden Robert Currier said the moose swam across the lake from New York to South Hero, Vermont, on Saturday. He said it made it onto land but was forced back into the water, likely feeling threatened by onlookers. The moose succumbed to exhaustion and drowned.

Cormier said he wasn’t there when the moose reentered the water, but believes onlookers played a role based on what he heard from them and from local authorities. He arrived shortly before the animal drowned.

“It was struggling pretty good at that point. We were waiting for a boat to respond to try to assist it, but before the boat arrived, it had drowned,” he said Monday. “It was really rough out there, probably 4- to 5-foot swells and high wind.”

Cormier said when the boat arrived, he got in the water and attached a rope to the moose to remove it.

Bernadette Toth was in the area Saturday morning 79 Hurley Ave. Kingston, NY 12401 dailyfreeman.com Phone: 845-331-5000 Newsroom Fax: 845-331-3557 General Fax: 845-338-0672 CONTACT US Publisher: Kevin Corrado, kcorrado@digitalfirstmedia.com Managing editor: Tony Adamis, tadamis@freemanonline.com City editor: Jeremy Schiffres, jschiffres@freemanonline.com News tips: news@freemanonline.com Sports results: sports@freemanonline.com Life: life@freemanonline.com Photo submission: news@freemanonline.com Regional Circulation Director: Michael Sheehan, msheehan@lowellsun.com with her 17-year-old daughter, who was having her senior photos taken. She saw the moose swim to shore, but left before it re-entered the water. She said there were about half a dozen people nearby and noted that the incident happened near a bike path popular with tourists.

“They made it sound like it was this big mob of people. No, this is a heavy trafficked area for South Hero,” Toth said. “That is always a very busy, busy area.” ADVERTISING Classified: 845-338-0606 classified@freemanonline.com Display: 845-331-5000 ads@freemanonline.com Online: 845-338-0606 ads@freemanonline.com Advertising director: Tim Tergeoglou, ttergeoglou@adtaxi.com Online sales manager: Barbara Norton, bnorton@adtaxi.com Circulation Customer Service: 1-888-699-7699 The Daily Freeman (ISSN 074-64932) is published Monday through Saturday. The Sunday Freeman (ISSN 076-8164) is published Sunday. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Daily Freeman, 79 Hurley Ave., Kingston, NY 12401. Copyright 2017. No reproduction or reuse of material without express written consent. To request permission to reprint material, contact the editor. This newspaper is protected under the Federal Copyright Act. Member, Alliance for Audit Media

BERNADETTE TOTH VIA AP A moose stands in Lake Champlain in South Hero, Vt., on Saturday. Wildlife officials say the animal had crossed the lake and made it to shore, but went back in the water, after likely feeling threatened by onlookers, and drowned.