Harrowing video shows brave cyclists rescue drowning deer from flood water: ‘He could barely stay afloat’
A group of cyclists in Spain saved the life of a drowning deer during a training ride.
The incident took place in Huéscar in 2019 and was captured on video by Ismael López Martín, according to Instagram user emmateu (@emmateu).
“Due to recent storms, an abandoned building had been flooded and the poor angel had fallen into the water,” she wrote.
“As much as he fought, he couldn‘t get out by himself. Scared and exhausted, he could barely stay afloat; there was no hope for him, so they knew they had to help.”
It took a while — and the strength of four adults — but the group pulled the large buck up by its antlers until it could gain traction with its hind legs and clamber out. One cyclist slipped to the ground at the end of the effort, while another and the deer fell hard before it galloped off.
“I take comfort in knowing people like this totally outweigh the number of those that won‘t even look in the direction of the animal,” one commenter wrote.
Another simply said: “Great people.”
The warming of the planet is leading to heavier rainfall and more flooding, according to the European Commission. That’s because warmer air can hold more moisture. In turn, the lives of humans and wildlife are at risk, in addition to homes and infrastructure.
“According to estimates, floods caused almost 5,600 fatalities and more than €250 billion (almost $273 billion as of November) losses in EU countries between 1980 and 2021,” the Directorate-General for Climate Action wrote for the European Commission in August.
“In the aftermath of such flooding, higher water temperatures accelerate the growth of waterborne pathogens, which encourages the outbreak and proliferation of deadly diseases. And the negative effects do not end there, as 75% of those affected struggle with their mental health.”
Every year, 170,000 Europeans are exposed to flood risk. That figure may grow to 480,000 by 2100.
Huéscar is in the province of Granada, less than 100 miles from the Costa Granadina region.
Around the time of the deer rescue, flooding in southeastern Spain killed at least five people and displaced 3,500, Reuters reported.
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