Last week, a camper near Ochlockonee Bay in Wakulla County, Florida, was taking in the sunset when a sudden commotion caught their attention — an animal thrashing helplessly beneath a nearby dock.
The worried
camper recognized the animal as a fawn and suspected the rising tide had swept her into the water. Now the little deer was trapped, with no mother in sight.
Needing an expert, the camper called the Wakulla County Sheriff's Office, which sent Deputy Shawn Joens to the scene.
The deputy assessed the situation and decided he had to intervene.
“The fawn was lethargic and visibly shivering,” a sheriff’s office representative told The Dodo. “It appeared cold and exhausted and needed assistance.”
After a few unsuccessful attempts to catch the fawn with a net, the deputy waded into the water, picked up the fawn and carried her to shore. Good Samaritans waiting on land wrapped the deer in warm towels and waited for her breathing to return to normal.
Meanwhile, the deputy spoke with team members at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, who suggested he place the fawn in a safe wooded area nearby and wait for her mother to return.
The animal lovers watched from a safe distance as the mother fawn inched out of the wilderness and reunited with her baby. Together, the deer returned to their home in the wild, perhaps feeling grateful for the dedicated rescuers who never gave up.
