Deer pinned in log-jammed creek pulled to safety by NC firefighters in unusual rescue

The aftermath of last week’s historic flash flooding continues to cause problems in North Carolina: The latest victim is a deer found trapped amid fallen trees in a Caldwell County creek.

The Lenoir Fire Department says it got a call about the animal Wednesday morning and arrived “to find a deer trapped in a log jam and in water,” the department wrote on Facebook. Lenoir is 75 miles northwest of Charlotte.

Photos shared on Facebook show the young buck was standing in about a half-foot of water in Lower Creek, surrounded by downed trees. It was “exhausted” from attempting to escape, officials said.

Firefighters told the News-Topic a tree had to be cut and removed before the frightened deer could be freed. However, it immediately went ”back into the creek and got stuck again,” the newspaper reported.

The department then made a second rescue, this time using ropes to lead the deer to safety, photos show. The deer was tugged to a nearby field, where firefighters examined it for injuries.

Town officials aren’t sure how long the deer was stuck, but believe it was likely sometime Wednesday. The Lenoir Police Department was the first to be alerted, and it called the fire department.

“Fire rescue, water rescue, kitten rescue, deer rescue, the City of Lenoir Fire Department can do it all!” town officials posted on Facebook.

Rivers and creeks across the state are glutted with debris since Nov. 12, when up to 10 inches of rain fell in a few hours. The storm is blamed for more than a half-dozen deaths, severe flash flooding and the loss of multiple bridges, McClatchy News reported last week.

This story was originally published November 19, 2020 at 1:52 PM with the headline "Deer pinned in log-jammed creek pulled to safety by NC firefighters in unusual rescue."