Alger County Sheriff's Department pulls deer off ice.
MARQUETTE -- After spending nearly 24 hours on the ice in Marquette's upper harbor, a deer is on solid ground.
It wasn't your average rescue operation. In fact, none of the three agencies--the U.S. Coast Guard, the DNR, or the Alger County Sheriff's Department--rescue animals.
However, the doe ended up sparking not only a rescue operation, but an opportunity for an interagency training.
The Alger County Sheriff's Department used their hovercraft to reach the animal, and after a few passes, they were able to pull the doe on board and bring it to shore. The rescue took about 20 minutes.
"This morning, we tried to walk out to the deer to try to attempt to herd it back to shore," says Alexander Hill of the U.S. Coast Guard. "We weren't able to get to it, so then we called the Alger County Sheriff's Department and the DNR."
On its way back to safety, the deer did fall through the ice.
Once it reached land, it was in a mildly hypothermic state. Authorities say the deer was fed apples and carrots, and after it warmed up, she managed to walk away with only a few minor scratches.
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