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VIDEO: Wyoming deputies lasso deer that fell through iced-over pond

Stills taken from body cam video from Sublette County Sheriff's Office. 

Two Wyoming sheriff's deputies channeled their inner cowboy and lassoed a deer flailing in a frigid pond after it fell through thin ice, authorities said Wednesday.

Sublette County sheriff's Deputies Justin Hays and Joshua Peterson responded to a report Tuesday afternoon that a deer had fallen into a pond near the small ranching town of Daniel in southwestern Wyoming.

Because the ice was too thin to walk on, they lassoed the deer and and pulled it to shore. They left the deer on a nearby driveway where it could warm up, and it was gone a few hours later, sheriff's officials said.

Video of Deer Rescue December 10th 2019

(Pinedale, Wyo –December 11th, 2019) SCSO Deputies rescue stranded deer in local pond, update 2pm. On December 10th, 2019, Sublette County Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Hays was travelling to Pinedale for training. As he was passing through the town of Daniel, he observed a deer struggling to free itself from a pond that had partially iced over. He radioed to dispatch that he was on scene and was soon joined by Sublette County Sheriff’s Deputy Josh Peterson who was on duty at the time and Deputy Peterson activated his body worn camera. Deputy Hays, along with a select few other deputies carry ranch ropes, team ropes or lariats in their patrol vehicles which they use to help get livestock off the roadways. Deputy Hays had two ropes with him at the time. He tied one end of the rope off to a tree so he could test the stability of the ice to ensure it would support his weight as well as Deputy Peterson. The deer attempted to swim away from Deputy Hays as he approached it so Deputy Peterson gathered the first rope and went to the opposite end of the open water. Deputy Hays lassoed the deer and was able to drag it up on to the ice. Deputy Hays stated he wanted to have a large enough loop for the deer to get a leg through so the rope wouldn’t be around the deer’s neck. The deer was exhausted and cold so Deputy Hays carried it over to the asphalt black top so it would help warm the deer up. Deputy Hays drove back by the area after his training that afternoon and the deer was gone. ### Sergeant Travis Bingham Public Information Officer Sublette County Sheriff's Office 35 1/2 S. Tyler Ave, PO Box 701 Pinedale, WY 82941 tbingham@subso.com Office 307.367.5236 Cell 307-360-7737

Posted by Sublette County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Peterson stood at one end of the pond with a lasso and drove the deer toward Hays at the other end, Sgt. Travis Bingham said.

Peterson's body camera captured video of Hays as he swung the lasso around his head before looping it easily around the deer.

The deputies carry ropes with them to herd cows that block roadways in the county, Bingham said. Hays, in particular, is a skilled cowboy, he said.

“It was the right people in the right place at the right time,” Bingham said.

Associated Press

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