A deer was rescued Tuesday evening after falling through the ice into a stormwater pond near Bow Valley High School, struggling in freezing water for nearly 90 minutes.
A local resident, who witnessed the incident and called 911, praises how people came together to rescue to animal.
“I was just out for a walk before dinner and saw four deer approaching the pond. I kept thinking, ‘I hope they don’t go on there,’” the resident recalled. “One of them did, unfortunately. I’m really lucky I saw it because in the dark, nobody might have noticed.”
“Later that evening, I returned to the pond to check on the animal, hoping it had either managed to get out on its own or that conservation officers had already arrived. Unfortunately, the deer was still in the water and appeared exhausted.”
With Fish and Wildlife officers tied up with another call, RCMP Officer Braedan Barut arrived on the scene, and off-duty firefighters Christian Kennerd and Graeme Rydl lassoed a rope around the deer and were able to pull the animal safely onto land.
“It took a couple of tries. At first, it was swimming away, but then it kind of held still, and they got it,” the eyewitness said.
Once on solid ground, the deer was monitored by Officer Barut and nearby residents to ensure it was breathing and recovering from cold exposure.
The next morning, the resident was relief to have discovered the animal had left the area.
She praised the quick thinking of those involved and said she wasn’t the only one reaching out to emergency services.
“I was glad to see someone took initiative and helped it. It was such a sad sight, but in this neighborhood, people come together and try to do their best with what they have,” the resident said.
The rescue highlights the dangers icy stormwater ponds pose to people and wildlife alike during the winter months.