Group rescues panicked deer found drowning in Pacific Ocean
Residents initially contacted authorities after witnessing this deer in wandering into the surf. (Credit: Los Angeles County Fire Department)
MALIBU, California (KTLA) -- A group including lifeguards, emergency personnel and concerned residents banded together to rescue a frightened deer that was drowning in the ocean in Malibu earlier this month, the Los Angeles County Fire Department announced on its website Saturday.
On the morning of June 1, the 1-year-old deer wandered out of Malibu State Park and somehow made it across Pacific Coast Highway, onto the beach and into the ocean, a post on the Fire Department’s website stated.
Malibu residents who saw the deer in the ocean surf called authorities, and then formed a large perimeter around the animal as they waited for authorities to come and take it back into the wild, the post said.
But the deer eventually became startled by a passing jogger and, in a panic, bolted into the ocean “swimming as fast he could,’ the department’s website stated.
Resident Bo Barzylevsky then sprang into action, grabbing his paddle board and paddling out with the hopes of getting the deer back to shore. He and an unknown fisherman in a kayak managed to reach the deer as the animal tired and began slipping beneath the water, according to the fire department.
“The fisherman grabbed the deer’s head and was able to hold it above water, while Bazylevsky tried to push the kayak towards shore,” the post said. “They made slow progress, struggling to guide the frightened animal.”
Several emergency personnel made their way into the surf and successfully brought the deer back onto the shore, according to the department.
The animal was then covered with a blanket and strapped onto a gurney. He was checked for injuries and then taken back to Malibu Creek State Park.
The deer was later named “Bo” in honor of Bo Bazylevsky, the department’s website stated.
“For all the bad things we humans do to animals, it sure is nice to see such a great effort from so many people to help this sweet little creature,” a local resident who witnessed the rescue effort told the fire department. “I hope Bo the deer gets a good night’s rest and doesn’t venture out across any roads in the future.”