'That's The True Christmas Spirit,' Kinnelon Firefighters Rescue Deer Stuck On Thin Ice
KINNELON, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A dramatic rescue was caught on camera when first responders in New Jersey went above and beyond to save a deer who was trapped on thin ice.
As CBS2's Emily Smith reported, two volunteer fire officials dragged a deer to safety by the hind legs. It happened Sunday morning, when a call came in to the Kinnelon police that a deer was stuck 3/4 of the way out onto the ice-covered waters of the Taylortown Reservoir.
"We had the two firemen suited up, rope tied on each one of them. They crawled to the deer and attempted to put some saving device around it, but were unable to," police said.
That's when one rescuer laid on the thin ice to spread their weight, crawled out to grab the deer by the legs and relied on a crew of about 15 to pull them all to land. The deer stayed close for a few moments before scampering off.
"It got on the land, walked off a little bit, and just sat. Obviously just trying to rejuvenate," Sergeant Christopher Burns said.
The doe wasn't exactly close to the edge, but was stuck on the ice approximately 25 yards out into the frozen water.
To make the rescue happen, police needed special ice rescue equipment usually exclusive to fire departments. Sgt Burns said the female fire official and a colleague from the Bloomingdale Fire Department didn't hesitate when he radioed for immediate help.
"It's just something nice to see around Christmas time where you're able to get the deer out of the water and continue on with a happy life," Sgt Burns.
The whole rescue took about 10 minutes. Sgt. Burns said it's a career first to see a doe stuck on thin ice on the reservoir, and he's thankful to have made the choice to put all resources into action.
"That's amazing. That's the true holiday spirit, people still have it. That's great," one witness said.
"Animals need love too. It's a good thing. They were heroes," another added.
Heroes who made sure time didn't run out for the sinking doe.
