Two members of a British Columbia search crew carried out an unusual rescue this week after they received a call about a deer stranded on an ice-covered lake.

Mike Ritcey and a fellow member of Kamloops Search and Rescue received a call from a woman who spotted the deer on Tunkwa Lake, about 80 kilometres west of Kamloops.

The pair sprang into action on Monday and decided to personally help the deer, although it wasnsa国际传媒檛 an official Kamloops Search and Rescue operation.

sa国际传媒淚t was the right thing to do,sa国际传媒� Ritcey said, adding the doe was on the ice for at least 30 hours. sa国际传媒淲hen they get out on the ice and they lay there, itsa国际传媒檚 a bad deal. The birds eat them alive.sa国际传媒�

He said he took precautions testing the ice every step of the way. Once he reached the doe, he said he threw a scarf over its eyes to calm it down and rolled it onto a plastic toboggan to pull it back to shore.

sa国际传媒淲e helped stand it up and the thing took off,sa国际传媒� he said, adding that it didnsa国际传媒檛 appear to have any broken bones and there was no sign of blood.

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This wasnsa国际传媒檛 the first time Ritcey came to the rescue of a stranded deer. He said there was another case a few years ago, but in that instance the deer was badly injured and had to be euthanized.

The B.C. Conservation Service says an officer received a call about the deer on Sunday, but due to a miscommunication, he thought the complaint had been dealt with when it hadnsa国际传媒檛.

Spokesman Tobe Sprado says itsa国际传媒檚 not unusual for deer to flee to frozen lakes while being chased by predators and then be unable to get up from the ice.

sa国际传媒淔or whatever reason, they look at the lake as being a bit of a refuge,sa国际传媒� he says. sa国际传媒淲e get calls every year about stranded deer in ice.sa国际传媒�

He says conservation offers do not typically rescue deer in such situations.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 a risky situation, to be putting your life at risk for saving a deer,sa国际传媒� he says.

sa国际传媒淲e usually let nature run its course in a lot of these incidents. The other option, if we feel itsa国际传媒檚 in public interest and to prevent suffering of the animal, we would possibly attend and euthanize that wildlife.sa国际传媒�

Another option the service would sa国际传媒減ossibly considersa国际传媒� would be to reach out to other entities, such as search and rescue or municipal fire departments, who would have the equipment and training to save the deer, he said.

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