LACEY – First responders managed to rescue 12 deer that were stranded in a lagoon near Capstan and Varuna drives.
Police started getting calls around 8:30 a.m. on December 9. Deer will sometimes swim in cold water, but the danger is that they might not be able to find a way out, police said. The lagoons have high bulkheading or docks. Once they start to panic, and once the cold starts seeping in, the chances of the deer surviving becomes less and less the longer they are in the water.
Members of the Lacey police, Lanoka Harbor Fire Department, Lacey Township Underwater Rescue and Recovery, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office worked together to rescue the animals.
They were able to corral eight of them using the Lacey Township Underwater Rescue boat. They guided the deer toward an area of wooded marsh. The animals then got out on their own safely.
Four deer had become separated from the main group. First responders had to physically remove them from the cold water and bring them to the woods, police said.
“Although these animals appear to be friendly, we do not recommend that the public attempt these rescue efforts on their own,” police said. “Close contact with animals under duress may result in serious injury to both the rescuer and the animal.”
The police department thanked the members of the Lanoka Harbor Fire Department, Lacey Township Underwater Rescue and Recovery, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office for their efforts in rescuing these animals.
