Helicopter’s blades blow stranded deer to safety

A helicopter used the wind generated by its blades to rescue a deer stuck on the middle of a frozen lake in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The rescue was captured on video by Ian Waugh. The footage shows the deer sliding on its belly while the chopper flies incredibly close to the ice's surface.

The deer and its fawn had been walking on the ice when the slippery surface became too difficult to navigate. The fawn managed to make it to the shoreline but the mother couldn't follow.

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Witnesses called the authorities, but the ice was too thin to attempt a rescue. Fortunately, there was another option. Helicopter pilot David Farrell of the Nova Scotia Natural Resources used his chopper to help the deer get to safety (and looked pretty darn cool in the process).

Farrell was modest about the rescue. He told CTV: "You can do it a thousand times and it shows up on camera once, and then you can appreciate what you're doing, spur of the moment. It's your job."

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He continued, "As long as you can keep that deer moving along the ice, it tends to calm down. I don't know if it understands we're trying to help or, I don't know what's going through its mind, but it works good."

CTV reports that both mother and fawn appeared to be fine, post-rescue.