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
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
MPs agree Canadian gov't should improve new disability benefit
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL has suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
New charges for Ont. woman who previously admitted to defrauding doulas
The Brantford, Ont. woman who was previously sentenced to house arrest after admitting to deceiving doulas has been charged again in connection to a new victim.