Sacramento Metro fire crews had to use their skills and training to rescue a helpless deer trapped Tuesday in the frigid waters of a canal near the American River.

Just before noon, the deer somehow became trapped in the drainage canal in the area of White Rock and International Drive. The powerful current forced the deer north down the canal.

When fire crews arrived at the scene, they found the deer unsuccessfully making an effort to get out of the canal. The deer — believed to be a couple of years old — kept sliding back into the water because of the slippery slopes of the canal.It was unknown how long the deer was trapped in the canal before fire crews arrived at the scene.

Firefighters decided to make a rescue attempt and got a raft into the canal. A crew in the raft was able to lasso the animal and pull it ashore.

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