Emergency Services join forces to rescue a wild animal in distress
Weston-super-Mare RNLI volunteers were called to assist with the rescue of a deer trapped in the mud.
It was half past six in the evening when Milford Haven Coastguard paged the crew of Weston RNLI as a wild deer had been seen caught in the mud on the beach of Sand Bay, north of Birnbeck Island. The Weston Coastguard volunteers were already on scene as were Weston Fire Service who had already tried to make the deer safe. However it had run off which was when they realised it was injured. It had come down from Weston Woods but was unable to make its way back.
Both lifeboats were launched and stood by off the shore while attempts were made to rescue the deer on land. It became apparent the animal had dislocated a hip. The cliffs were too steep to make it safe to evacuate the animal by land and as the tide was rising it was decided to evacuate it on a lifeboat. The animal was gently manhandled onto the D Class lifeboat Anna Stock which then carried it back to the boathouse at Knightstone to await the arrival of a vet.
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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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