SOUTH HAVEN, Mich. -- Some people on a boat who spotted a deer struggling in Lake Michigan a mile from shore Friday afternoon helped guide it safely back to land.
Heide Fuessel (whose last name rhymes with diesel) tells FOX 17 her family was about a mile north of the South Haven pier when they spotted the young deer. Her husband, Brett Fuessel, was captain on-board the speedboat. Also on board was their daughter, Ashley Fuessel, nephew Joey Eichberger, and niece Heather Eichberger.
They're from Mokena, Illinois but have a summer home in Southwest Michigan.
Heide says they were boating around 4 p.m. Friday "when my nephew said, 'Uncle Brett, stop the boat. I just saw a deer on the water".
Video and photo courtesy: Heide Fuessel 5-31-2019.
"With my husband navigating the Baja 29 Outlaw, he was able to steer the deer back to shore," says Heide. "We were too high out of the water to try and lift him up. He made it safely and collapsed on shore, but then made his way up and took off. "
