This is one of those feel-good viral stories that is almost impossible to believe without finding the source. But sure enough, it appears to be authentic. In fact, the boat owner posted a link to a PDF scan of the newspaper article. And here's an HTML link to the JuneauEmpire.com article. And see the slide show here.
It happened in October of 2010 near Point Arden in Taku Inlet Southeast of Juneau, Alaska. Map. The captain and passengers of the Alaska Quest watched four unusual objects bobbing in the water. Article excerpt:
Satre slowed the boat, and the group began to watch the group of four juvenile Sitka black-tailed deer.
"They swam right toward the boat," he said. "Then, they started to circle the boat. They were looking up and looked like they needed help."
These were wild animals, mind you. But they were desperate and willing to let humans help them. The deer were too weak to climb into the boat, so the folks lassoed them and hauled them aboard.
More:
According to Kelly, the typically skittish and absolutely wild animals came willingly and once on the boat, collapsed with exhaustion. They were shivering, she said. A few could not hold up their heads. She didn't know if two would make it.
"They couldn't stand up on their own," Kelly said. "(And) they couldn't shake the water off their coats. We didn't want to touch them, but it was clear they were happy to be there. They probably would have crawled on board if they could have."
One possible explanation for why the deer got in that predicament was that a predator chased them into the water. Or maybe they took a swim to find a food source. In any event, once the boat reached shore the deer were set free.
There now. Wasn't that a feel good story?
Thanks Sis.
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