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DWS rescues young deer from icy reservoir

Posted at 5:05 PM, Dec 21, 2012
and last updated 2012-12-21 21:09:23-05

SALT LAKE CITY - A man from the Department of Wildlife Resources spent his morning rescuing a baby deer stuck on some ice at Mountain Dell Reservoir.

The DWR says they got a call about a young buck who had walked out onto the ice and couldn't make his way back. He didn't break through the ice, but it was too slippery for him to stand.

"We've had some training in ice rescues usually it's dealing with people but we could make things work for a deer," said DWR Officer Mike Roach, who got the task of helping the deer back onto land.

The ice was only about two inches thick and officers were worried about Roach breaking through the ice.

Instead of walking, Roach hopped in a boat with a dry suit in case he fell in the cold water and other officers used a rope to help push him out to the stranded deer, who is resistant to rescue.

"Its legs and everything were just fine and it was just letting me know it was unhappy about being tugged on," Roach said. "The deer was pretty sore and tired. It'd been there probably all night. We took the animal up the hill a little ways where it was comfortable and let it go."

The deer some rest after its long cold night out on the ice, but DWS says he's expected to make a full recovery.