Not every hero wears a cape.
Some heroes have a New Jersey accent and work with the Strong Island Animal Rescue League, a New York-based nonprofit dedicated to helping animals in trouble. One day, one of their rescuers, Frankie, received an urgent call about a deer near the Long Island Sound with a bucket firmly stuck over its head.
Frankie rushed to the location as quickly as possible. But when he arrived, he immediately became even more worried. The frightened deer had wandered into the water.
Frankie told The Dodo that he knew he had to move quickly before the situation became deadly.
“If the bucket had filled with water, it would have held her head down and she would have drowned,” he explained.
“I saw the deer in the water, actually swimming in circles. I took my boots off, took my vest off and went into the water.”
After Frankie moved farther into the water, he realized his presence was frightening the deer. Instead of coming closer, the animal began swimming farther away.
That was when “Plan B” came into action.
Members of the rescue team waved down a nearby boat and asked the driver for help. The boat owner was incredibly kind and immediately agreed to assist.
Frankie directed the driver toward the struggling deer, but the noise from the boat made the frightened animal even more nervous. Several attempts failed as the deer continued trying to escape.
Eventually, Frankie managed to grab the bucket and pulled as hard as he could. Then came a terrifying moment. He wasn’t sure whether the bucket had actually come free, and while trying to remove it, he accidentally pushed the deer beneath the boat.
For a few tense moments, no one could see where the deer had gone. Thankfully, the animal soon surfaced again—and the bucket was finally gone from her head.
Frankie quickly retrieved the bucket from the water so it could not become a danger to another animal. He and the boat owner were preparing to leave, but then they noticed something was still wrong.
The deer was not swimming toward shore. Instead, she was frantically moving around in circles. Frankie knew he could not simply leave her struggling in the water, so he asked the boat driver to help with one final rescue attempt.
Frankie carefully positioned himself at the front of the boat. When they got close enough, he reached down, grabbed the exhausted deer and held her securely against the front of the vessel, keeping her just above the water.
The boat driver then slowly guided them toward shore.
Once they reached land, the deer finally found her footing. After a moment, she ran safely into the woods.
It was a difficult and dangerous rescue, but Frankie and the Strong Island Animal Rescue League were determined to see the deer safely home.
Frankie also had a simple message for people after the rescue: dispose of and recycle their garbage responsibly. Animals should never have to suffer because human waste is left behind in nature.
