Mark Weir had been out riding his snowmobile with friends in Newfoundland, Canada.

The group had been watching a herd of moose walk along the edge of a pond when one suddenly dropped out of sight and into a deep pit.

The footage shows the friends using shovels to dig a path for the animal before it managed to climb to safety.

In the clip, Mark plods through the snow towards a spruce tree where a deep hole has emerged around the base.

He narrates from behind the camera and says: '[We were] going along and see a moose and there's a hole and the poor little guy falls down in it.

'So I guess we are going to have to try and get him out.'

Mark points the camera down into the pit as the moose manoeuvres his head slowly beneath the low-hanging branches and nuzzles the snow.

The clip cuts to the start of the rescue operation where shovels can be heard digging down into the thick layer of snow before the group begin to discuss how best to continue.

Mark says: 'We've got to leave that wall there until we are sure it can get out otherwise we are just going to have his head in the way while we are shovelling.'