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An Oregon firefighter rescued a fawn stuck on a roof during a unique Fourth of July mission
Photos show the firefighter carrying the fawn to safety and the animal reuniting with its mother
The Astoria Fire Department shared the rescue online, sparking gratitude and jokes about the unusual situation
On July 4, an Oregon firefighter embarked on a unique rescue mission that ended with a family reunion!
A firefighter in Astoria, Ore., was tasked with a “deer rescue” after a fawn somehow got stuck on top of a home and needed assistance getting down on Saturday, July 4, according to a Facebook post from the Astoria Fire Department (AFD). “This certainly doesn’t happen every day, but somehow this young deer got onto a roof and needed a little help from your Astoria Firefighters,” the post reads.
The department was alerted to the situation after a dispatch call reported a deer “[stuck] on the roof and was not able to get down” around 12:30 p.m. local time, an AFD spokesperson told PEOPLE in a statement. “It was also reported that the deer had been on the roof for approximately one hour.”
The rescuer used a roof ladder to scale the residence and scoop up the stranded creature, per the spokesperson. Throughout, the fawn’s mom “was hanging out in the area,” awaiting the young animal’s return.
A fawn stranded on a roof in Astoria, Ore. on July 4
Credit: Astoria Fire Department/Facebook
One photo shared by the local fire department shows the fawn cowering by a corner of the roof. Another image of the rescue shows a firefighter in full gear carrying the tiny, spotted fawn under their arm on the same roof.
After the firefighter “was able to capture the deer on the roof,” they moved the fawn to “some stairs” where it was then reunited with its waiting mother, according to the AFD spokesperson. Photos shared by the department show the sweet moment when the doe and fawn came face to face after the rescue.
“The fawn made a few noises that alerted its mom, and while the baby deer ran down the stairs the mother ran over to the stairs as they reunited,” the spokesperson told PEOPLE. Afterward, the two deer “both walked off together.”
“Please be safe, everyone, but if you find yourself stuck on a roof, we’ll come get you also!” the fire department joked alongside the rescue pictures on Facebook. “Happy 4th of July!”
It is still unclear how the fawn ended up on the roof in the first place, but the fire department certainly has theories.
“We are not 100% sure how the fawn got on the roof, but we believe it went up those stairs, and the roofline actually comes down close to that area,” the AFD spokesperson said. “We think the fawn was spooked by a person in the area and jumped onto the roof. “
A firefighter rescues a young deer stranded on a roof in Astoria, Ore. on July 4
Credit: Astoria Fire Department/Facebook
After the department shared images of the fawn’s rescue, some Facebook users expressed gratitude to the firefighter who retrieved the baby animal from the rooftop, while others poked fun at the unusual situation.
“A bizarre and adorable rescue! Well done!” one person wrote in a comment on the fire department’s post. Another echoed, “Thank you for being good humans and helping this little guy out.”
“Trying out to be one of Santa’s reindeer,” another person joked about the tiny fawn. “Maybe it flew up there.”
A deer who was stranded on a roof appears to reunite with its mom after a July 4 rescue in Astoria, Ore
Credit: Astoria Fire Department/Facebook
While the holiday rescue was certainly atypical enough to warrant a post, it is not the only time an animal has earned attention online for its rooftop antics.
Back in 2021, a golden retriever named Ace had a viral moment after following its owner up to the roof to take down the Christmas lights.
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“Turn around, Ace climbs up this whole ladder by himself and is now on top of the roof,” the pup’s bewildered owner Vince Matteson said in a video obtained by PEOPLE at the time. In the same clip, the golden-haired pet can be seen calmly walking along the roof, seemingly unbothered by being so far off the ground.
In 2022, firefighters were similarly called to a residence in Hazelton, Pa., to help a dog stuck on a roof; only once they arrived did the pet’s owner reveal that the pup goes roof-walking “all the time.”
Read the original article on People