Philadelphia Police came to the rescue of a wayward deer who became trapped in the Delaware River Thursday evening.
The deer was trapped in thick mud in a basin next to the Chart House restaurant at South Streets and Christopher Columbus Boulevard on Penn's Landing.
After police received several calls, the Marine Unit was dispatched to rescue the animal.
Sgt. Gregory Caputo said when he and his unit arrived, the deer had freed himself from the mud, but was swimming around looking for a way out of the water. At one point, he swam under a run down pier, Caputo said.
Armed with a dog lasso, the officers were able to snag the deer and pull him out of the 4-foot deep water.
"It didn't give us any struggles or any issues. Once we got it onto the boat, we were able to cover it with a blanket just to prevent it from moving around just so it didn't injure any of the officers on-board," Caputo said.
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Caputo and his unit had an an audience of onlookers for the rescue who were thrilled to see the animal saved.
"Customers from the Chart House were all out on the balcony and they all applauded for us," Caputo said.
Officers took the deer to a nearby wooded area, where the animals frequent, and set him free.
