Oh no! He's '˜fawn' in the water!

The quick thinking actions of a weary nightshift worker saved a trapped deer fawn from drowning in the canal at the Kelpies this week.
17-05-2017. Picture Michael Gillen. STENHOUSEMUIR. Lindsay Wannan who rescued a baby deer, fawn from the canal at The Kelpies this morning at 6am.17-05-2017. Picture Michael Gillen. STENHOUSEMUIR. Lindsay Wannan who rescued a baby deer, fawn from the canal at The Kelpies this morning at 6am.
17-05-2017. Picture Michael Gillen. STENHOUSEMUIR. Lindsay Wannan who rescued a baby deer, fawn from the canal at The Kelpies this morning at 6am.

Having finished his shift at Veolia on the Ineos site in Grangemouth, Lindsay Wannan (39) was cycling through picturesque Helix Park on his way home to Stenhousemuir at 6am yesterday (Wednesday) when he caught sight of a movement in the water.

He said: “There was a deer swimming in the water – not something you see every day, so I got my phone out to film it.”

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It soon became apparent the animal was in difficulty and Lindsay quickly changed roles from cameraman to rescuer – that’s when he noticed there were actually two fawns in the water.

17-05-2017. Picture Michael Gillen. STENHOUSEMUIR. Lindsay Wannan who rescued a baby deer, fawn from the canal at The Kelpies this morning at 6am.17-05-2017. Picture Michael Gillen. STENHOUSEMUIR. Lindsay Wannan who rescued a baby deer, fawn from the canal at The Kelpies this morning at 6am.
17-05-2017. Picture Michael Gillen. STENHOUSEMUIR. Lindsay Wannan who rescued a baby deer, fawn from the canal at The Kelpies this morning at 6am.

“They were swimming round and round in circles so I dialled 999 and they said someone would be along. I couldn’t wait for them so I got a lifebelt and threw it into the water.

“The deer actually swam towards me and it put its head on the lifebelt. The other one swam off up the canal.”

Lindsay enlisted the help of a cleaner at the nearby Helix visitor centre to help him get the young deer out of the cold water.

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Meanwhile another cyclist out on an early morning ride further up the canal was pulling the other fawn out as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service arrived on the scene.

Lindsay Wannan looks after the fawn he rescued from the Helix canalLindsay Wannan looks after the fawn he rescued from the Helix canal
Lindsay Wannan looks after the fawn he rescued from the Helix canal

Lindsay said: “Who knows how long they had been in the water? We wrapped the deer up in blankets and a jacket and phoned the SSPCA.

“They told us they were wild animals and all we could do was to try and keep them as warm as possible.”

The assistance Lindsay and the other rescuers provided obviously worked wonders, because both deer were soon on their feet again.

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“The deer I was holding just jumped up and it was off,” said Lindsay.

17-05-2017. Picture Michael Gillen. STENHOUSEMUIR. Lindsay Wannan who rescued a baby deer, fawn from the canal at The Kelpies this morning at 6am.17-05-2017. Picture Michael Gillen. STENHOUSEMUIR. Lindsay Wannan who rescued a baby deer, fawn from the canal at The Kelpies this morning at 6am.
17-05-2017. Picture Michael Gillen. STENHOUSEMUIR. Lindsay Wannan who rescued a baby deer, fawn from the canal at The Kelpies this morning at 6am.

“The sun was up and warm at that point and the other deer, which had been moving around a bit, did the same.”

All in all it was a hard, but rewarding, shift for Lindsay.

He then returned home and tried to get some sleep 
before he had to pick up his kids from school and then head out on the nightshift again.