PEORIA, Ariz., Dec. 18 (UPI) -- A pair of lasso-slinging cowboys assisted Arizona wildlife officials with rescuing a mule deer trapped in the cold waters of a canal.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department shared a video on YouTube showing officers responding to a report of a mule deer swimming in a canal near Lake Pleasant.
Officer Reuben Gonzales said the deer was likely searching for water and slipped on the steep concrete on either side of the canal.
The officers arrived to find two cowboys with lassos had already begun a rescue plan. The cowboys and officers were able to steer the deer toward a bridge, where one of the cowboys was able to ensnare the deer's antlers with his lasso.
The rescuers dragged the deer out of the water and loaded him into a truck that transported him to a park area.
The deer appeared stressed from his ordeal in the cold water, but he eventually "got his wits together" and wandered off into the wilderness, Gonzales said.
The officer said the department is "very, very grateful" for the help of the two cowboys.
