Elk takes a dip in family's heated swimming pool

A Colorado family won't be using their swimming pool any time soon after an unwanted visitor severely damaged it over the weekend. And the visitor didn't enjoy one minute of his dip in the heated pool. The family says he could have drowned.

"We heard this heavy breathing and splashing. At first, we didn't know what it was," said Doug Talley.

So the family hit the porch lights and went outside. A 12-foot, 1,000 pound wild elk had walked on the family's swimming pool cover and fallen into the deep end.

"He swam over to me, and I could see he was having a lot of trouble keep his nose above water at that point," said Kay Talley.

The family cut the motorized pool cover, and then used a broom to nudge the elk to shallow water where eventually he got out on his own.

"We have male animals getting into all kinds of sticky situations across the Front Range," said Jennifer Churchill with the Division of Wildlife.

And not just swimming pools. The Division of Wildlife says elk are getting stuck in all sorts of things from lawn furniture to bicycles.

The elk damaged the Talley's pool, including putting a hole in the pool lining and denting the diving board. The family hopes they are covered by insurance, because, "It's not your every day insurance claim," said Doug Talley.