A group of Flagler Beach lifeguards found themselves in a rescue scenario they’d never trained for: saving a deer from the ocean. Senior lifeguard Chase Hunter first thought it was a joke when someone reported a deer in the waves on July 6. But sure enough, he paddled out and found the struggling animal and a large shark circling nearby.
Hunter scooped the deer onto his board and calmly tried to soothe it, but the frightened creature kept jumping off. After a few tries, and some circling sharks, he finally managed to keep the deer on board long enough for backup to arrive.
None of the lifeguards had ever rescued an animal from the ocean before, let alone one with hooves while a shark circled nearby.
Officials from the fire department and city praised the lifeguards for their calm, quick action, with Recreation Director Tom Gillin calling them “rock stars.”