Nobody knows exactly how long the little fawn had been down there. Days, rescuers believe. Alone, in the dark, at the bottom of a storm drain beside an apartment complex in North Carolina.
What everyone does know is how it ended: with a tripod, a harness, a lot of patience and a whole team of people who refused to leave without that baby deer.
A Fawn in the Wrong Place
The rescue happened in late September in Cary, a town just outside Raleigh.
A young deer had ended up inside what appeared to be a grated storm drain near an apartment complex, according to The News & Observer. The Cary Fire Department said the fawn was believed to have been trapped there for “several days” before anyone was able to help, UPI reported.
Storm drains are a real danger for small wild animals. The openings are easy to fall into and almost impossible to climb out of, and the walls are steep and slick.
Calling In Every Team
This was not a job for one person. Firefighters from Rescue 7 and Ladder 1 responded, along with Cary Animal Control, Wake County Animal Control and crews from Cary Public Works.
Each group brought something different: rope and rescue skills, animal-handling know-how, and people who understand how the town’s drains are built.
The goal was simple and difficult at the same time. Get the frightened fawn out without hurting it, and without anyone else getting hurt.
Down Into the Drain
The rescuers set up a tripod over the drain opening, UPI reported. Photos shared by the fire department and described by People show ladders around the hole and team members being lowered down into the drain to reach the deer.
Once they were down there, they carefully fitted the fawn with a harness so it could be lifted straight up to the surface.
It took hours. “After hours of careful collaboration, crews successfully rescued the fawn,” the department wrote in a Facebook update.
“This rescue took patience, teamwork, and specialized skills, all in an effort to give this little one a second chance,” the department said.
A Second Chance
Once the fawn was safely out, Cary Police Department Animal Control took it to a wildlife rehabilitation facility. UPI identified it as Holly’s Nest Wildlife Rescue, where the young deer was to receive veterinary care and rehabilitation.
The Town of Cary thanked everyone involved with a line that made a lot of people smile: “Not all heroes wear capes; some wear waders! Thank you to everyone who helped save this sweet fawn.”
Keep an Eye Out
The rescue also struck a chord with people who know how often this happens.
In a comment on the department’s post, a local wildlife rehabber said she had helped with another fawn stuck in a storm drain in nearby Apex back in June, The News & Observer reported. That baby deer was saved just in time by a couple who climbed into the drain themselves as rain began to pour in.
“I’m just wanting to spread awareness how easily this can happen,” she wrote. “Please look out for local wildlife. They depend on us.”
So the next time you walk past a storm drain and hear a strange little cry, stop and listen. And if something is down there, call for help. Somewhere in Cary, a fawn got a second chance because people did exactly that.