Struggling deer saved from Red River by construction workers
A team of four men from a small Manitoba town came together to save a deer that had fallen through the ice.
Dennis Baudry runs a construction company in Ste. Agathe, Man. with his brothers Alain and Gilbert.
On Friday, an employee came back to the office after noticing a deer in the Red River while driving to a job.
"He came in the office and said, 'Dennis, there's a deer out on the south side of the bridge at Ste. Agathe in the water,'" said Dennis Baudry.
"So I quickly took that info and drove down to the river, and, of course, this deer was bobbing back and forth."
Estimating the deer had been in the river at least an hour, Baudry knew it was in trouble.
"It was sort of caught in this current in maybe four or five feet of water," he said.
Baudry assembled his brothers and the employee to create a plan to rescue the deer.
"We got a couple of chainsaws, some rope, an ice pick and we went down there and made a path."
The team sprung to action cutting into the thin ice to make a spot for the animal to surface.
(Source: Dennis Baudry)
"It was bobbing. It was just a matter of time. It was very weak. It was on its last legs," said Baudry.
After 15 minutes of work, one of the brothers managed to lasso the deer's antlers.
"On the second try, he was able to get it on his horns," Baudry said. "It took a good tug, but once we got it on the ice, we dragged it and we could tell it was very weak."
After untying the rope, Baudry and the other men anxiously watched to see if the deer would get up.
"It took about two to three hours of recovery and it took off," he said.
Despite being avid hunters, Baudry and his brothers were glad to see the deer flee.
"It was very satisfying. All of us put all our hunter things aside and were very happy to see this beautiful buck prance away."
(Source: Dennis Baudry)
According to Baudry, it's not uncommon for animals to have issues with the ice.
"There's a lot of deer that happen to fall at this time of year. Fortunately, this animal, we were able to see it and retrieve it and let it go."
While happy to help, Baudry assures that everyone was safe during the rescue.
"Being from the area, we sort of know the dangers of working on the ice. We were very careful."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.