PRIOR LAKE, Minn. – Two firefighters braved a frozen Pike Lake in eastern Minnesota Monday to rescue a deer as it struggled to walk on the icy surface.
The area around Pike Lake, which is located about 11 miles northwest of Duluth, saw temperatures that plummeted to the low teens and single digits on the day of the rescue.
The video begins with the deer flat on its stomach with its hooves outstretched over the ice. The animal scrambles to try to stand up, but its hooves merely slip over the ice, causing the deer to plop down again.
Two firefighters from Prior Lake donned bright yellow protective gear and crawled on their hands and knees toward the deer.
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A closer look shows they are tethered to the shore as a safety measure from being on the frozen lake. They also appear to have a long, pole-like device with them.
Once they reach the deer, the firefighters use the device to push the deer and start sliding it toward the shore. Bit by bit, the firefighters crawl along as they push the deer over the ice, and only stand when the deer has reached the shore.
“They were successfully able to push the deer to shore! Thanks PLFD!” said City of Prior Lake officials, who released the video.