Two members of a British Columbia search crew carried out an unusual rescue this week after they received a call about a deer stranded on an ice-covered lake.

Mike Ritcey and a fellow member of Kamloops Search and Rescue received a call from a woman who spotted the deer on Tunkwa Lake, about 80 kilometres west of Kamloops.

The pair sprang into action on Monday and decided to personally help the deer, although it wasn害羞草研究所檛 an official Kamloops Search and Rescue operation.

害羞草研究所淚t was the right thing to do,害羞草研究所� Ritcey said, adding the doe was on the ice for at least 30 hours. 害羞草研究所淲hen they get out on the ice and they lay there, it害羞草研究所檚 a bad deal. The birds eat them alive.害羞草研究所�

He said he took precautions testing the ice every step of the way. Once he reached the doe, he said he threw a scarf over its eyes to calm it down and rolled it onto a plastic toboggan to pull it back to shore.

害羞草研究所淲e helped stand it up and the thing took off,害羞草研究所� he said, adding that it didn害羞草研究所檛 appear to have any broken bones and there was no sign of blood.

READ:

This wasn害羞草研究所檛 the first time Ritcey came to the rescue of a stranded deer. He said there was another case a few years ago, but in that instance the deer was badly injured and had to be euthanized.

The B.C. Conservation Service says an officer received a call about the deer on Sunday, but due to a miscommunication, he thought the complaint had been dealt with when it hadn害羞草研究所檛.

Spokesman Tobe Sprado says it害羞草研究所檚 not unusual for deer to flee to frozen lakes while being chased by predators and then be unable to get up from the ice.

害羞草研究所淔or whatever reason, they look at the lake as being a bit of a refuge,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淲e get calls every year about stranded deer in ice.害羞草研究所�

He says conservation offers do not typically rescue deer in such situations.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a risky situation, to be putting your life at risk for saving a deer,害羞草研究所� he says.

害羞草研究所淲e usually let nature run its course in a lot of these incidents. The other option, if we feel it害羞草研究所檚 in public interest and to prevent suffering of the animal, we would possibly attend and euthanize that wildlife.害羞草研究所�

Another option the service would 害羞草研究所減ossibly consider害羞草研究所� would be to reach out to other entities, such as search and rescue or municipal fire departments, who would have the equipment and training to save the deer, he said.

Like us on and follow us on .