An adult male wearing a dark blue t-shirt with white text and black shorts stands near shallow water, likely a lake or sea. A deer with brownish coat and white underbelly is nearby, possibly wearing something brown around its neck. The scene includes a cardboard box in the water and distant land with buildings and trees. 3:41
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He called a boat over to get a bucket off a deer

A deer with a tin bucket jammed over her head can't see a thing. By the time help comes, she has walked into the icy water of Long Island Sound and is swimming in circles. more

Frankie, a rescuer with the Strong Island Animal Rescue League, got the call about a deer with a bucket stuck on her head. When he arrived, she was already in the water. One small piece of luck was that the bucket had not filled with water. If it had, it would have held her head under.

He takes off his boots and his vest and wades in. "It was ice, ice cold," he says. She keeps going farther out, and he doesn't feel sure he can swim that far in water that cold and bring her back.

So he looks for help. There is a boat at the far end of the bay. "Buddy, come get me," he calls, and he tells the man he is with animal rescue. The man pulls him up onto the boat.

The plan is to get the bucket off so she can swim back to shore on her own. Frankie lies on the front of the boat as they ease closer. "Hey, girl," he says, reaching for the handle a little more, then a little more. He thinks he has it, and then she slips under the boat.

On the next try he feels the bucket tug at his fingers and slide right off. "Yes, it's off," he says. "All right, baby, it's off now. You can see." Then he asks the boat owner to go pick up the bucket too.

Her head is free, but she doesn't swim for land. She's cold and confused, and she just keeps going in circles. "All right, I'm gonna grab her," Frankie says. He lies across the front of the boat again and holds her against it while they head for shore.

A deer swims through rippling water, her head and alert ears above the surface. A headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
With the bucket gone, she still circles in the cold water instead of heading for land.

She doesn't fight him. "She actually was very calm," he says. "I was able to feel her heartbeat in my hand." As they get close, he tells her, "All right, honey, almost there."

An adult male wearing a dark blue t-shirt with white text and black shorts stands near shallow water, likely a lake or sea. A deer with brownish coat and white underbelly is nearby, possibly wearing something brown around its neck. The scene includes a cardboard box in the water and distant land with buildings and trees. The headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
A deer with a tin bucket jammed over her head can't see a thing.

Near the shore he lets go. "Should be able to stand now, go ahead," he tells her. She finds her feet and runs. "It was great seeing her run off," Frankie says.

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