Deer swims four miles from Isle of Wight to mainland – then drowns in bungled rescue

A deer that swam four miles from the Isle of Wight to the Hampshire coast later drowned during a bungled rescue attempt yesterday, firefighters said.

The three year old roe buck managed to make dry land on the Southsea shore at around 10am, but then returned to the water as beachgoers looked on.

The RNLI sailed closeby to shadow the deer and keep other boats and swimmers away while rescue efforts were organised.

But when the lifeboat crew returned to shore to pick up an animal rescue specialist, members of the public in a passing boat mounted their own rescue attempt, lassoing the deer. Their efforts led to the animal becoming distressed and drowning.

Moments later when the buck was pulled aboard an RNLI rib, efforts to resuscitate it using chest compressions and mouth-to nose resuscitation proved to be in vain.

Officials said members of the public should not attempt to help animals in distress themselves, but should call 999.

At 9am yesterday, coastguard and fire services received reports of a large deer in the water off Southsea, near the Blue Reef Aquarium.

As the RNLI launched, coastguards secured the shoreline and moved back crowds enjoying the beach on a day on which local temperatures hit 28 degrees.

Photos show at one point the deer reached dry land, standing in ankle-deep water by the shore.

But by the time Hampshire Fire and Rescue animal rescue specialist Anton Phillips was picked up from the beach by the RNLI, it had once again swum 200m out to sea.

Last night Mr Phillips, 59, told The Telegraph: “I had my grasping equipment ready, equipment we use for dogs and deer in that environment and the RNLI came and picked me up.

“Unfortunately then some members of the public in another boat tried to lasso it.

“That was a great shame because if they’d left it alone it would probably have been fine. The key with animal entrapment is to back off and be quiet.”

Once he got to the scene Mr Phillips, who has successfully performed life-saving CPR on animals in the past, tried to undo the damage.

“The RNLI pushed me up alongside and I grasped it and pulled it onboard,” he said, “I gave it CPR and tried to get it back, but it was gone.”

He said the technique for animals is different for that with humans. In addition to performing chest compressions, he said: “You do mouth to nose.

“I encompassed the animal’s nose with my hand, creating a tube, and I pumped the water out of it, grasped it by its nostrils with my fists and lightly inflated it.

“But it had taken on far too much water and had gone. It’s worked on goats and sheep before now and I’ve got them back, but not today.

“If only that member of the public had not got involved.”

He said the deer might have swum south from near Gosport but had “probably” come from woods on the Isle of Wight, which at four miles away across The Solent he said was “well within swimming range”.

A spokesman for the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "We would like to take this opportunity to remind the public that if they find an animal in danger, difficulty or distress, please call 999, state your location and wait for the appropriate emergency service to help."