WATCH: Minnesota Firefighter Rescues Deer From Frigid Water After Breaking Through Ice
The dangers of thin ice this winter haven't just impacted humans trying to go ice fishing.
A video shared recently by a Minnesota fire department showed a rescue effort to save a deer that had broken through the ice on a body of water, trapping it in a difficult situation.
A team from the Owatonna Fire Department shared the video last week, showing a firefighter in an ice rescue suit coming to the aid of the stranded deer. The department came to the assistance of the Minnesota DNR after a report of a deer that had broken through the ice and was struggling to stay above water.
While it has been a warmer winter overall, water temperatures are still quite frigid, making for a cold experience that can lead to hypothermia. Deer are better-suited to handle cold air temperatures than humans, but being submerged in icy water can lead to a similar outcome to that of a person if exposed for long enough.
In the post from the Owatonna Fire Department, they described the ice rescue suit used in the rescue, which is similar to those used by other fire departments and ice rescue teams around Minnesota.
The yellow suit is fully waterproof from head to toe, including a watertight hood and attached gloves and boots. The insulated suits not only keep the rescuer dry and warm, but also keep them afloat. These suits can allow a person to remain in icy waters for a long period of time while conducting a rescue.
This story has a happy ending, with the rescuer from the fire department eventually getting the deer out of the water and onto the ice, where it eventually was able to head back into the woods after being rescued.
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Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper