Austrian rescue workers got a bit more than they bargained for when they attempted to save a male deer stuck on an icy river bed near a waterfall on Friday, Jan. 27.
The animal reportedly became stranded after trying to protect other deer in his herd, according to Metro UK.
When a group of volunteers tried to pull the stag up from the riverbed, the animal slipped on the ice and fell into the water below, pulling a veterinarian and rescue worker down with it.
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The stag, which was already exhausted when rescue workers arrived at the scene, was eventually pulled to safety after the vet administered anesthetic, the Austrian Times reports.
"[The stag] was very cold and a bit sorry for himself but will soon be back to his old self," a firefighter told Metro UK.
No one was hurt in the incident.
Wintry weather rescues can prove to be a difficult challenge, but tales of successful missions always manage to brighten the day.
In 2010, cameras captured footage of sailors pulling a dog that was swept away on an ice floe in the Baltic Sea. A ship engineer said the pup didn't make a sound, but that one could see the fear in its eyes.
For more tales of amazing animal rescues, check out this slideshow.
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