The video of a helicopter rescue was shot by a retired Canadian biologist, Ian Waugh, after spotting the doe and fawn struggling on ice in Antigonish Harbour.
The doe struggled for hours to gain her footing on the ice while her fawn stayed close to her.
Waugh notified the Department of Natural Resources, as the ice was too thin to attempt a rescue by foot.
In a complicated maneuver, helicopter pilot Dave Farrell used the downdraft of the helicopter’s rotor to blow the deer to shore on the slippery ice.
As the helicopter hovered approximately four feet (1.21 meters) above her, the doe struggled at first, but eventually relaxed and let the helicopter blow her to safety.
When the doe reached the shore, she was helped to her feet, and she limped away into the woods.
