DURYEA, Pa. — After a mile and a half hike or so up to Campbell's Ledge, you're met with a seemingly serene setting.
But a closer look shows something not so calm: Two beavers trapped 25 feet below the surface in a drainage system along the edge of the reservoir.
"There were three beavers trapped in the water drain here," said John Ackourey of West Pittston. "Sadly, one of them didn't make it. The two that were alive were huddled together, close together, touching noses, touching faces. And soon as I saw it look on her face. I knew they were very frightened, and they gave up in all reality."
Ackourey has years of experience in wild and domestic animal rescue. To get the beavers out, he had to rappel down and get them one at a time.
"And that was it. It was time. I wanted to get them out of there. I wanted to return back to their home. And it was tough. It wasn't easy going down in there," explained Ackourey.
But going down was the easy part. The beavers were scared, slippery, and heavy.
"I had my ascending equipment, which helps me climb out. And soon as I put that 35 pounds on my back, you felt the difference, and it was tough getting out. There really was, I was struggling," added Ackourey.
After Ackourey got the first out, it was time to go down for the second. It put up a little bit of a fight, but in the end, cooperated as much as you would hope and made it to safety.
"To them, they're no different than us. They just want to live. Their lives mean everything to them. So, for them to continue on, it means everything to me. It really does. It really hits home. And I'm grateful," said Ackourey.
After being down in the well or drainage system, he believes the beavers had made a den that somehow had access through a hole in the concrete to that area in the drain.
He believes the den collapsed and kept them from accessing the entrance point, and that's how they got trapped. Because there was a third that did not make it, he estimates they were down there for more than a week, but now the two are out safe and sound.
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