Firefighters Rescue Deer Stuck in Thin Ice Pond in Minnesota: 'It Was Struggling'

The deer took a moment to rest after being rescued by the Prior Lake Fire Department

A deer that found itself on thin ice has been rescued thanks to community members and firefighters in a Minnesota town.

“Neighbors called PLFD to report a deer stuck on Pike Lake,” the Prior Lake Fire Department announced via social media earlier this week. Their Instagram post included a video of the animal lodged in an opening in a frozen body of water.

“It was struggling to get off of the thin ice. Firefighters put on their protective gear and carefully crawled across the ice,” the post continued, showing the rescuers springing into action.

“They were successfully able to push the deer to shore! Thanks PLFD! 🦌 👏.”

Related: Alaska State Troopers Rescue Two Swimming Deer Found Stranded in the Water Miles from Shore

The clip was set to Bryan Bowers Band’s song “Dem Deer.”

“This warms my heart. Thank you for helping this sweet creature,” one viewer commented on the video. Another person added, “❤️this brought tears to my eyes. !! Thank you PL fire department.”

According to CBS News Minnesota, once the rescue was complete, the buck rested for a bit before heading back into the reeds.

"The buck made it through [deer hunting season], here's hoping he makes it through this as well," city officials said, per the outlet.

Minnesota and Wisconsin’s deer hunting season came to a close on Sunday. It typically resumes around September to October.

"The smaller ponds, the shallow water is getting ice covered, but it's very dangerous, very thin and uneven freezing, so we don't want anyone out there at all," fire Chief Rick Steinhaus said.

He warned that while there’s no foolproof way to assure anyone can ever truly be safe on frozen bodies of water found naturally in nature, they should especially be avoided this time of year.

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The Pike Lake firefighters initially tried to rescue the deer using a special fire vehicle known as ARGO, reports Fox 9. However, they determined that the vehicle would not be suitable for the water and ice.

The lucky buck of Pike Lake isn’t the only deer that’s found himself in a sticky situation recently. Earlier this month, a white-tailed deer in Pennsylvania was behind an influx of calls to officials.

The Bethel Park Police Department shared a press release on Nov. 11 to assure residents that they were aware of “a deer with a net stuck in his antlers.”

Related: Sighting of Deer in Collar with 'Pet' Painted on Its Body Prompts Warning from Mo. Officials

Any sightings of deer were to be reported to the Game Commission who would assist in removing the netting, as the department “is unable to handle this type of issue.”

An officer from the Pennsylvania Game Commission told PEOPLE on Nov. 17 that the buck still had not been located. However, they insisted that the animal was likely okay as antlers tend to drop in the late winter months.

The officer added that he believed the material was “a soccer net” that was not impeding the animal’s daily routine.

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