Rescuer slowly crawls across partially frozen lake to save deer, New Mexico video shows

A rescuer slid on his stomach across a partially frozen lake to pull a deer to safety, video shows.

The New Mexico rescue team was called to Monte Verde Lake after a deer wandered onto the ice. The lake in Angel Fire was partially frozen, and the deer couldn’t stand up without sliding, the Angel Fire Fire Department said Dec. 12.

“A deer had wandered onto the partially frozen lake, fell and was not able to get up,” rescuers said on Facebook.

A rescuer carefully and slowly shimmied across the ice, edging closer and closer toward the deer, video shows.

Once the rescuer reached the deer, a team on land pulled the two to safety. The deer and rescuer slid across the ice until they made it off the lake.

“The deer was successfully rescued, brought to land and given time to rest before releasing it, unharmed,” rescuers said.

Angel Fire is about 90 miles northeast of Santa Fe.

This story was originally published December 13, 2021 at 7:21 AM with the headline "Rescuer slowly crawls across partially frozen lake to save deer, New Mexico video shows."