One firefighter lay on the ice and hugged the deer as they were pulled to safety
This article was originally published by Shyla Watson for People.com on February 6, 2026 including an adorable video of the rescue. We encourage you to visit the original article to watch!
Remember that scene from Bambi where he gets trapped on the ice? For one deer in Washington, that moment went from fiction to fact.
On Tuesday, January 27, firefighters rescued a deer on Loon Lake in Stevens County. Local resident Daniel Poleschook told Storyful that he saw the animal struggling to stand on the frozen lake, so he contacted the Stevens County Fire Department (SCFD) to help.
When Fire District No.1 arrived, firefighter Gavyn Gallagher made his way onto the ice with a gurney and rope. Frightened at first, the deer tried to scurry away, but couldn't stand. Gallagher managed to get the lasso around the deer's body and, after seemingly abandoning the gurney, lay on the ice himself to hug the animal and get pulled to safety.
In footage of the rescue, the deer appears unsure of what is happening, crying out. But once Gallagher's team begins pulling the stranded animal to shore, the creature calms down, appearing to enjoy its hug and ride to unslippery ground.
"District 1 crews were able to save a deer off of Loon Lake this morning. Teamwork included Fish and Wildlife officers along with local residents," the SCFD said in a Facebook post shared later that evening.
The statement continued, "The Fire District will always weigh the hazards of animal rescues, and crews today went through a great decision-making process for a very successful outcome."
Poleschook confirmed to Storyful that the deer made it off the lake and was safely released.
Last October, a deer in Oakland County, Mich., was rescued after it "became inescapably wedged" in the foot-wide space between concrete barricades after it was struck by a car on Interstate 75.
Closing both north- and southbound lanes, responders utilized a "technical rescue truck" and straps to carefully lift the deer while "untangling its hoofs in the process." After an hour, the deer was freed from the crevice and later released back to the wild.
"In the midst of a busy day, our search and rescue team responded to a call regarding a deer trapped in cement barricades, facing a fatal outcome without expert extraction. Their diligence, training, and hard work paid off, enabling them to rescue the young deer and transfer it to a wildlife rehabilitation center," the Oakland County Sheriff's Office said in an official release.