Deer rescued from ocean by lifeguards along Central Florida coastline

FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. - Lifeguards rescued a young deer from the ocean off the Central Florida coastline Sunday after beachgoers spotted the animal struggling in the surf.

The unusual scene unfolded near the Flagler Beach Pier, where beachgoers noticed the four-legged animal about 300 yards offshore.

Witnesses said lifeguards sprang into action, paddling out through the rough surf and reports of sharks in the area to rescue the deer.

Two lifeguards reached the animal and managed to guide it back to shore using their rescue boards. 

"We have a job to do. We save lives, whether it's a human life or, in this case, a deer," Chase Hunter, a senior lifeguard with Flagler Beach, said during an interview after the incident.

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Once back on shore, the lifeguards, with assistance from other rescuers, guided the mammal to some nearby woods, where the animal walked away under its own strength.

The rescue marked the first time many of the lifeguards had encountered a situation that involved an animal, let alone a deer, which could have become a victim to sharks.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you to all involved in the baby deer rescue. It had been fighting and swimming outward for over an hour and a half," a witness posted on social media.

It is unclear exactly how the deer ended up in the ocean and so far from shore.

Locals said it is possible that the animal’s habitat had recently changed or celebrations over the Fourth of July drove the animal from its usual stomping grounds.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, deer are known swimmers and are mostly seen crossing smaller bodies of water across the state.

The agency says the white-tailed deer are the most common species of deer found across the Sunshine State, with adult females weighing around 95 pounds and adult males averaging 125 pounds.               

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"We're extremely proud of them for not only just taking concern for life safety for the public, but also for the environment. It was a good rescue - a unique one," Flagler Beach Fire Rescue Chief Stephen Cox stated.

In 2024, the agency performed nearly 250 rescues and took hundreds more preventive actions that kept people from getting caught in potentially dangerous ocean currents.