Wigan

Wigan father and son rescue drowning deer from canal

Chris and Denver Kendall dived into the water and tied two dog leads together to pull the animal to safety.

The Manc - 4th August 2021

A family from Wigan has shared the story of how they managed to save a struggling deer from drowning in a local canal.

Chris Kendall was walking his dogs with his fiancee when he spotted the animal thrashing in the water after it had gotten trapped behind the canal gate, Wigan Today reports.

Asking a passing cyclist to alert the lock keeper – whose cottage was a ten-minute walk away – Chris decided to take action himself to rescue the deer.

He called his dad, Denver, and the duo dived into the water – tying two dog leads together to pull the animal to safety.

The deer appeared to be healthy after being lifted from the canal and bounded off into the distance.

Speaking to the BBC, Chris said it was “a bit of a relief” when they managed to finally haul the animal onto dry land.

He added that going into the water was “the only option” as the deer was “going to drown”.

Chris’ mum – who recorded the rescue on her phone – also spoke about the “lovely” moment the deer was saved.

“I could have just cried,” she said.

“It was like it just sort of looked at us as if to say ‘thank you’. I just hope it found its family.”

Featured image: Magda Ehlers via Pexels