Firefighters Dive Into Icy Pond to Save Drowning Deer

Chris Daley watched in horror as a young deer bolted across her driveway in Watertown, Wisconsin, crashed through the thin ice of her backyard pond, and started desperately thrashing in the freezing water.

It was just after 2 p.m. on January 29, with temperatures below freezing. The doe was tiring fast, and Daley knew she was running out of time.

She called the Wisconsin DNR first, but they told her they couldn't help with wildlife ice rescues. Her next call went to the Watertown Fire Department, and that's when everything changed.

Battalion Chief Chad Butzine and firefighter Josh Archibald arrived within minutes. While Archibald held the safety line, Butzine pulled on specialized cold water gear and waded into the icy pond.

The exhausted deer first tried swimming away from him, but then she turned around and swam straight toward the 29-year veteran firefighter. Butzine gently lifted her out of the water and onto the ice.

"I was getting tired because she was getting tired," Daley said. "I thought, 'I don't want to see this deer drown.'"

The doe lay on the ice for a moment, catching her breath. Then she did something Daley will never forget. The deer looked back at Butzine, as if to say thank you, before standing up and bounding safely into the nearby woods.

Sunny's Take

This wasn't Butzine's first animal rescue in his 24 years with Watertown Fire Department. Both he and Archibald have saved wildlife and pets throughout their careers, treating every creature with the same care they'd give a human in distress.

Daley was amazed by their compassion. "They were phenomenal," she said. "I was just so taken that they put so much care into this."

The department reminds residents to report wildlife emergencies quickly and keep their distance from distressed animals, which can be dangerous when frightened. But when you need help, these firefighters prove they're ready for anything.

Sometimes heroism means rushing into a burning building, and sometimes it means wading into freezing water to give a frightened animal a second chance at life.