Video: Firefighters rescue deer from Drenthe canal

A deer fell into the Noord-Willemskanaal between De Punt and Vries in Drenthe on Tuesday evening. With some difficulty, firefighters managed to rescue the animal from the cold water, local media reported.

Passersby saw the deer swimming in the canal in a panic, unable to get out, and called the emergency services. Records show the first report about the animal in trouble coming in at 7:50 p.m.

Responding firefighters had a hard time getting the animal to hold still long enough to be rescued. They eventually called in divers and a boat from the Haren fire department to help, but that proved unnecessary. Before they arrived, a firefighter managed to catch the deer on a lower part of the quay, Drents Nieuws reported.

The rescuers pulled the deer out of the water and dried it off. The animal ran off into the wild a few minutes later, apparently unharmed by its adventure.

11-04-2023 Melding dier te water voor #brandweer #Vries betrof een ree die in het Noord Willemskanaal bij De Punt was terechtgekomen. pic.twitter.com/kM42XbS7P2

— Michael Huising (@MichaelHuising) April 11, 2023