ELIZABETH, Colo. — Winter Storm Xylia left one family with tough choices, as they decided who would stay and who would have to hunker down after their truck was stuck in snow drift.
"I was doing pretty good, and I have a pretty large truck, and all of sudden I was mid-door deep and stuck," said Seth Rodenbaugh, an Elizabeth resident whose car got stuck less than a mile from home.
On Sunday, as Rodenbaugh traveled with his 5-year-old son and Great Pyrenees puppy, snowdrift accumulation meant the car would have to be abandoned.
"I threw him [my son] on my back and started walking. My wife picked me up, and we made our way home," Rodenbaugh said. "Left the pup because I didn't want to try to carry both of them."
Rodenbaugh called Elizabeth Fire Rescue and alerted them to the situation.
"I said, 'Hey I got a pup in a truck, and I don't know if I can make it back,'" Rodenbaugh said.
Luckily, Elizabeth Fire Rescue had a crew that was able to respond using one of the department's snowcats.
"It took us about 30 to 45 minutes, and we were probably in waist high snow," firefighter Matt Souders said.
Later that evening, Souders and other firefighters were able to bring the puppy home.
"It's pretty amazing out here — our community out here in Elizabeth is pretty amazing," Rodenbaugh said.
"It's not just a dog, it's a family member," Souders said. "They're part of the family, they are."