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
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
DEVELOPING Live updates from the Trump hush money trial: Stormy Daniels, bookkeeper testify
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boeing 737 catches fire and skids off the runway at a Senegal airport, injuring 10 people
A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
Man accused of killing two children at Quebec daycare to stand trial in April 2025
The man accused of murdering two children and injuring six others after a city bus crashed into a Montreal-area daycare is scheduled to stand trial over five weeks beginning in April 2025.