ONE of the greatest ever animal rescues has been captured on film – with the hero of the hour revealed as a pet dog.
Storm the golden retriever is being hailed an international superstar with millions watching how he pulled a drowning bambi from the sea.
The remarkable dog’s retrieving instincts kicked in as the young white-tailed deer struggled to keep afloat in the chilly waters of New York’s Long Island Sound.
Storm’s amazed owner managed to capture the rescue efforts as the brave pet doggy paddles towards the stricken fawn, clasps the frightened creature gently with its jaws and then swims back to the shore.
Owner Mark Freeley said as he captured footage that has gone viral on social media: “Good boy, Storm, bring him in.”
As Storm reaches the beach with the fawn – the same species that Walt Disney used for his 1940 classic cartoon – he paws and nudges the animal to make sure it is alive.
Mr Freeley told CBS New York: “Storm just plunged into the water and started swimming out to the fawn, grabbed it by the neck, and started swimming to shore.
Storm the golden retriever rescued a drowning deer from the sea
It was a do-or-die situation. I really didn’t have much of a choice
Frankie Floridia
“And then he started nudging it with his nose, and started pawing it to make sure she was gonna be okay, I guess.”
Mr Freeley contacted the Strong Island Animal Rescue League to tell them about the fawn and so started the next round of the dramatic story.
Storm’s amazed owner managed to capture the rescue efforts on film
As the group’s Frankie Floridia and rescue partner Erica Kutzing arrived on the beach, the spooked fawn dashed back into the water and went out even farther.
Mr Floridia said: “It was a do-or-die situation. I really didn’t have much of a choice.
“If I didn’t go in the water, the deer would’ve died.”
After swimming out to the deer, he managed to loop a dog lead over the animal’s head and swim back to shore, only to badly injure his knee and leaving him collapsed on the beach.
Strong Island Animal Rescue League told its Facebook followers: “Frankie said he blew his knee out and asked Erica to take the deer from his arms.
The fawn was rested in a quite room after the rescue
“She did. Frankie collapsed on the beach and needed a few moments to recoup.
“Then the both of them began the long mile and quarter trek to where Erica parked her vehicle. It felt like an eternity.
“The deer kicked and trashed but they knew they couldn’t stop.
“She was already stressed enough. Time was fragile…”
The fawn was eventually rested in a quiet room where she is receiving fluids and being fed. She will eventually be released back into the wild.
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