Lifeboat crews rescue a young deer swimming in the Solent

deer rescued by cowes lifeboat
It's believed the deer had been carried by the tide Credit: COWES RNLI

Lifeboat crews are used to carrying out a lot of different rescues but this morning they carried out a rather unusual one.

The Cowes RNLI lifeboat were amazed to see a young deer swimming in the Solent.

The deer, of the Muntjac variety found in the New Forest, had apparently been carriedsome three miles across the Solent by the tide, to end up off Princes Green, Cowes.

The young deer was taken back to the lifeboat station and put in the shower room, whereit was given a drink and again wrapped in a blanket, to await being picked up by theRSPCA.

Cowes lifeboat found the young deer swimming in the Solent Credit: Cowes lifeboat

“To say we were surprised was an under-statement,” said lifeboat helm Myles Hussey.“Even the Coastguard had to be told three times before they believed us!”

“I always wanted to rescue a dog, but instead it was a deer,” said Myles. “And because ofthe tide at the time we named the youngster Ebbing.”