Morris Plains crews rescue fawn that fell into storm drain My local paper

[Donna]

MORRIS PLAINS — Emergency crews spent two hours on Tuesday morning to rescue a frightened fawn that had fallen into a Sunrise Drive storm drain.

A passerby spotted the fawn in the middle of the street around 10 a.m. and attempted to coax the tiny deer to the side of the road, police said. Instead, the firghtened fawn ran to the other side toward a grassy area but fell through a curbside storm drain in front of 18 Sunrise Drive, Lt. Tom D'Ambola said.

The deer fell about 10 feet into the drain, then crawled another 15 feet into the sewer line, he said.

The Morris Plain Fire Department initially tried to get the fawn out of the drain by flushing the sewer line with a hose from the other side of the pipe, about 250 feet away. That didn't work.

Then, a piece of road department equipment was used to flush the line, which prompted the fawn to move, police said.

Patrolman Jeff Hochman, who had climbed down into the drain with a snare, caught the fawn, which was released into nearby woods.

D'Ambola called the rescue "'heartwarming" and is grateful to all who were involved in the rescue.

Among them were Hochman, Patrolman Bruce Rapp, Sgt. Mark Ewert, 1st Assistant Fire Chief Don Geary, Road Department Superintendent Joe Signorelli and Assistant Superintendent Ben Signorelli.

The effort took about two hours.

'They did an excellent job," D'Ambola said.

A Sunrise Drive neighbor, Claire Simon, 72, said she was walking her poodle when she spotted emergency workers at the scene. She could hear the fawn crying.

"Just like a little baby," she said. "It was heart-wrenching."

Simon said she feels fortunate to live in a town where so many people cared to stop and offer help.

"I felt we were very blessed that we live in such a peaceful area and we had all these people to help a helpless animal."

[valhalla]

That Bambi needs Mama.  Where is Mama, as that is a nursing Bambi.  Good story Donna.   

[MAK]

oink   A happy ending!