Deer struggle in Alaska’s icy water before rescuers return them to land

Deer struggling in the cold waters of Alaska’s Inside Passage were rescued by wildlife workers last week.

On 10 October, Alaska Wildlife Troopers Sergeant Mark Finses and trooper Kyle Feuge were returning from a patrol nearby in Ernest Sound to Ketchikan when they saw the pair of animals in trouble.

The deer were floating in the Clarence Strait and were around four miles from any island in the channel.

Once troopers stopped their boat in the water, the deer butted their heads against it and swam up the swim step before officials helped them on board.

The average temperature of the water in October is just over 10C.