Police and Fire Respond to Rescue Deer Trapped in Icy Pond
Tue Dec 16, 2008, 05:51 PM EST
Georgetown - Georgetown Police and firefighters rushed to rescue a deer from an icy pond last Monday night after a resident called reporting the deer screaming in distress.
Police received a call at 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 8 from residents at 1 Bernay Way. Sgt. Dave Armstrong and Officer Michael Goddu responded and located the deer. But because of the thin ice on the pond, they found it was unsafe to approach it.
“It was pitch black, the ice was far from thick enough to walk on and the animal had to be more than 120 yards off shore. We couldn’t get out there,” Armstrong said. Goddu then called the Georgetown Fire Department who responded with their ice rescue boat and equipment.
Fire Chief Al Beardsley was first to respond to the scene and determined the department’s “Rescue Alive Sled” would be best used to help get the animal off the ice.
Firefighters led by Beardsley performed a water rescue, like they would do if a person was stuck, and were able to get the deer to land. Fire Lt. Brian Gosse and Lt. Andrew Herendeen donned special ice rescue suits as firefighters Jeff Manning, David Adam, Shauna Silva and Donna Robbins set up equipment and secured safety ropes. Gosse entered the icy pond using the department’s rescue sled to help assist him in walking on the extremely thin ice. Upon making contact with the deer, Gosse determined the animal was seriously injured, having been attacked by an animal and chased out onto the ice.
Gosse was able to use a snaring tool to gently harness the animal. The signal was given and the shore crew used tag lines to haul Gosse and the deer back to the shore. Unfortunately, due to injuries it sustained by a predator it died following the rescue, Armstrong reported.
“The poor thing had been attacked by what we think were coyotes,” Armstrong said.
Police Chief James Mulligan called it a valiant effort to save the animal’s life.
“We couldn’t let the thing sit out there. The people who called us were thrilled that we did it,” said Armstrong. “If we didn’t do it we’d get in trouble, but if we did do it people will say we’re wasting money. I personally think we did the right thing.”
The deer was removed from the Bernay Way backyard on Tuesday morning and transported to Ipswich for disposal, according to police reports.
This article originally appeared in the Georgetown Record on December 16, 2008
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