Deer in danger of drowning rescued from Rotherham canal

The female roe deer was spotted swimming in the Sheffield to Keadby canal by a member of the public and was found struggling to get out of the water on the Steel Street stretch in Rotherham.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue was called in to help at the scene on May 3. Crews managed to pull the deer to safety and called the RSPCA for further assistance.

Animal rescue officer, Ollie Wilkes, found the deer to be in good health, and so with the fire crew, managed to confine the animal to a cage, carried her to the other side of the canal and released her back into the wild. 

Mr Wilkes added “Deer do swim, but in this case, the poor animal was unable to get out due to the high sides of the canal and she was obviously getting stressed and was at risk of drowning.

“Fortunately a member of the public came across the deer and realised she was in danger so contacted the fire service who did a great job in rescuing the animal.

“I checked her over and she seemed to be in good health so we decided to take her to safety away from the canal to release her back into the wild."

This is the second deer to be spotted swimming in the South Yorkshire area in recent weeks.

On April 30, a deer was spotted swimming in the River Don near Kelham Island, Sheffield, by a resident who captured the moment on video

The RSPCA urges anyone who spots a deer, or other wild animals, in distress to keep a safe distance and contact them on 0300 123 4999.

Do not try and free it yourself. Wild animals can scratch, kick and bite when frightened, particularly if they are injured. You could risk hurting yourself and the animal.