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Montana

Firefighters Rescue Doe, Fawn from Icy Montana River

Police and firefighters responded to a report that deer had fallen through the ice into the Clark Fork River

By Associated Press

MISSOULA – Firefighters in western Montana pulled a doe and her fawn from the icy Clark Fork River in sub-zero temperatures Friday morning, officials said.

“They darted up the bank and ran east,” City of Missoula senior firefighter Brett Cunniff said. “They took off on their own. We’re assuming they’re fine.”

Police and firefighters responded to a report that deer had fallen through the ice into the river at about 7:30 a.m., the fire department said in a social media post. The temperature at the time was minus 3 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 19 degrees Celsius), according to the National Weather Service.

Fire crews are trained in ice rescues and used a ladder and ropes to pull the deer to safety, Cunniff said.

Rescuing animals that have fallen through the ice on the river is not uncommon, Cunniff said, but it usually involves dogs. This was the first time he’s helped rescue deer, he said.