Tag: rescue

Stranded deer gets helping hand; ‘She needed to get off the ice’

A Wisconsin man who saw a deer stranded on the ice discovered that the safest way to rescue the animal was simply to slide it to shore.

A Wisconsin man who saw a deer stranded on an icy reservoir discovered that the safest way to rescue the animal was simply to keep pushing.

The accompanying footage shows Gil Lencour performing the unconventional rescue in Cranmoor on Tuesday, in footage captured by his friend, John Moss.

Lencour told Fox 19 Now that since the doe was stranded in the middle of the reservoir, far from shore, his original plan was to use a leash to pull her to safety.

But when the deer kept falling while trying to stand, Lencour used both hands to calm her down. “I just kind of put my hands on her and started pushing,” he said. “I could slide her across the ice and just kept going, and got to the shore and she took off.”

Moss told Fox 19 Now that he began to document the rescue only when he was sure Lencour had things under control.

Lencour said he didn’t think twice about whether to keep driving when he saw the stranded animal. “She needed to get off the ice and I was the only one around to help her,” he said.

Girl, 11, draws praise for shark rescue caught on video

An 11-year-old girl Australian has gained notoriety for her admirable rescue last week of a shark caught in the rocks at low tide.

An 11-year-old Australian girl has gained notoriety for her rescue last week of a shark trapped in the rocks at low tide.

The accompanying video shows Billie Rea reaching carefully into a tide pool and picking up a small but hefty shark, which she identifies in the footage.

“I’ve got a draughtboard shark,” Billie informs her mom, Abby Gilbert, who is capturing the rescue on video. “Come on darling,” Billie says to the shark.

Draughtboard sharks, or Australian swellsharks, are nocturnal bottom dwellers that prey on crustaceans and small fishes. They’re not considered dangerous to humans.

“As soon as it came into view, I knew what it was and I knew that it couldn’t hurt her,” Abby Gilbert is quoted by the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “You saw in the video just how calm she is, and I feel like that animal felt so safe with her.”

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Sea otter catches shark in extremely rare species interaction

Billie discovered the trapped shark, measuring 2-plus feet, at Kingston Beach in Tasmania. As the shark begins to wriggle, she offers words of reassurance. “It’s alright, it’s alright,” Billie says.

Mom is worried that her daughter might fall while walking toward deeper water on moss-covered rocks, but Billie manages to bend down and gingerly place the shark into a deeper channel.

She turns and gives mom a double thumbs-up after the shark begins to swim toward deeper water.

The Indian Express collected Tweets from admirers around the world, who viewed the rescue on social media.

A sampling:

  • “More ppl like this one in the world please.”
  • “Our kids are so much better than we are.”
  • “OMG! I can watch this forever.”

–Image showing Billie Rae rescuing the shark is courtesy of Abby Gilbert; draughtboard shark image is generic