In a split-second decision, an Upstate New York man dove into freezing water earlier this month to rescue a baby deer fighting for its life.
That’s what happened when 24-year-old Eric Shutter’s mother alerted him to a baby deer struggling in the frozen waters of Irondequoit Bay, just outside Rochester.
Shutter sprang into action, swimming through icy water to reach the fawn. He tried to lift the animal onto the ice so it could run back to shore, but the frightened deer ran back into the water several times before Shutter was finally able to get it to safety.
Officials warn that jumping into icy water is extremely dangerous. Shutter, however, told RochesterFirst he felt he had no choice but to help.
“It was a small deer, and it had been in there for a while, also, we figured it only had a minute or two, and it was slowing down, so I figured I’d just hop in and grab it,” he said.
Shutter said the water was so cold that his lips, fingers, and toes went numb and turned purple.
According to the National Weather Service, entering water below 50 degrees can trigger cold shock — a life-threatening condition that can occur long before hypothermia sets in. Cold water immersion can cause involuntary gasping, rapid breathing or hyperventilation, which can quickly lead to drowning if a person inhales water and cannot stay afloat.
When asked whether he would do it again, Shutter told local news he would.
The rescue was one of several animal saves reported this month in Upstate New York, including cows freed from a burning barn and a dog rescued from the Erie Canal after its owner was pulled from the water.