Dec. 29 (UPI) — Firefighters in Connecticut used an inflatable boat to rescue a deer that wandered out onto the ice of a frozen lake and found itself unable to stand up.
The Quaker Farms Fire Company, part of the Oxford Fire Department, said on social media that crews responded alongside Oxford EMS when a deer was spotted about 600 feet out onto the ice of Lake Zoar.
The deer appeared to be “unable to stand up due to exhaustion,” the post said.
Rescuers donned cold water rescue gear and ventured out onto the thin ice in an inflatable boat to prevent them from falling through into the frigid lake.
The deer was safely brought back to shore and taken by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for assessment.