I live an hour outside of Chicago where the winter has been mild but recently chilled. This has put a thin layer of ice over some of the area lakes including Crystal Lake where I came across a stranded deer about 100 yards offshore. Some of my neighbors had gathered and we learned that it had been there since early morning when it became encircled by a pack of foxes.  A nearby woman was able to chase the foxes away from the deer, but the deer was unable to get its footing as it lay sprawled and injured across the ice.

Local fire department and animal welfare authorities had been called and said they would not be able to provide assistance. The predicted afternoon warm-up to 40 degrees would surely determine its fate without a rescue effort.

As locals gathered to witness the sad plight of the unfortunate deer, we discussed our options. We had a small boat, but the ice was too thick to boat and too thin to walk on. I called a local fly-fishing friend Keith (anonymous) who seemed to have been preparing for this moment his entire life. He showed up with a fully rubberized suit and 100' of rope. We attatched the rope to the boat and he shoved off from shore and approached the deer. The closer he got to the deer, the more the deer began to wiggle across the slick ice as it tried to escape his grasp. Keith was basically able to scare it back to shore where it shook off the chills and returned to the wild. Keith (anonymous) is our local Deer Hero!

I am proud to submit this wonderful story of a deer man with rubber suit who was willing to "risk his life" to save an animal.