A Deschutes County Animal Control technician saved a fawn from drowning in Oregon, reported KTVZ News.

The young deer became trapped in a retention pond with another fawn, and both were struggling to find a way out. Someone in the area noticed and called 911.

One of the fawns found their way to safe ground, but the other was still stranded when the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office arrived. The fawn was panicked and becoming exhausted from physical and mental distress. Fawns know how to swim, but they do not have a lot of stamina, and a panicked nervous system can further override those skills.

Deputies first attempted to direct the fawn out of the water. When that didn’t work, they tried using catch poles provided by Deschutes County Animal Control Technician Treyton Plamondon to capture the fawn and move it to safety. Unfortunately, the fawn remained trapped.

Plamondon quickly realized what he had to do. The technician entered the pond himself and brought the wearied animal to land, saving the fawn’s life.

A photo from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page shows the drenched fawn lying on their side on land, most likely weak and fatigued from their struggle, while Deputy Plamondon walks out of the waist-deep water.

Fawn rescue from a retention pondCourtesy of Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office

The sheriff’s office reported that the fawn was “released on the property away from the pond.”

Lady Freethinker commends Plamondon for his brave rescue and commitment to the well-being of animals, as well as the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office for responding quickly to an animal in need.