Deer falls through ice in Michigan — twice. Watch heroic rescue by Michigan brothers
Brothers in Michigan “meticulously” hatched a plan to save a deer that had fallen through ice — twice, video shows.
The video shared Saturday, Dec. 7, by Island View Resort in Cedarville shows the deer’s face covered in icicles as it waded through the icy water of Cedarville Bay off Les Cheneaux Island.
Jeff Lipple said in a voiceover in the video that he maneuvered his way to the edge of the thick ice in his attempt to rescue the deer, but she would not come close enough to him.
He even put a ladder into the water hoping the deer would latch onto it. That attempt was also unsuccessful.
Lipple was then assisted by his brother, Greg Lipple, who got into the water on a kayak. Greg Lipple corralled the doe into a corner of the water, then his brother put a rope around the deer to pull her up.
Because Jeff Lipple had little traction as he stood on the snow, the rescue attempt took a little while, but the deer eventually was brought to land.
She was then shown in the video galloping toward the nearby woods.
“She’s got more energy than I thought she would,” Greg Lipple is heard saying in the video.
But as the doe hurried toward the treeline, she fell through the ice yet again.
She was stuck in a much smaller hole than before, and the brothers again rescued the doe. This time, she successfully trotted off.
In a Facebook post, Island View Resort said it is not recommended to go onto such thin ice.
“We meticulously checked the ice on the way in and out, we were wearing ice gear that floats, had ice picks, a ladder, rope, jet sleds and somebody watching and assisting from shore,” the resort said. “Always have an emergency plan and never go alone without letting someone know where you’re going and when you’ll be back.”
Cedarville is in the eastern portion of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
This story was originally published December 9, 2024 at 12:10 PM with the headline "Deer falls through ice in Michigan — twice. Watch heroic rescue by Michigan brothers."