Man Wades Through Thigh-Deep Black Sewage To Rescue Trapped Fawn
When 19-year-old Joe Bauer went to work on June 13, he had no idea his daily duties would involve actual doody. But, duty called, and Bauer was assigned the not-so-delicious task of wading through thigh-deep sewage in Fort Benton, Montana, to rescue a fawn.
It all began when contractor Curt Wood, whose business was doing work for the city’s wastewater system, noticed a fawn trapped in a sewage lagoon. Wood had noticed several deer in the area as his company worked, but never before had seen the fawn.
Wood made a phone call to Fort Benton City Works Superintendent Skip Ross, requesting that someone come out and help the tired baby deer. The superintendent chose Bauer to rise to the occasion.
And Bauer obeyed, trudging through a football field-sized poop swamp to help the exhausted fawn. The distressed animal was too weak and tired to resist the rescue.
“Honestly, [the fawn] was fairly welcoming,” Bauer told the Great Falls Tribune. Bauer was able to scoop up the fawn and carry him out of the muck and mire.
Initially, the fawn was left at a nearby river bank to rest and regain its strength. Once it was ready, Wood guided the fawn toward the tall grass where he’d seen adult deer, where the fawn’s mother was likely to return.
It was a job well done for Bauer, and Ross called the teen’s actions “admirable.” While Bauer emerged smelly and covered in filth, he said the experience was, in the end, rewarding.
“It’s definitely not in the Top 10 things (I’d hoped) to do today,” Bauer said. “I guess it made me feel a little better when I was done.”
Ross described the sludge that Bauer had to walk through in order to help the distressed animal. “It’s not clean stuff, it’s pretty dirty,” Ross said.
“I hate to say it, but it’s a lot of poop,” Ross laughed. “I know people that would’ve just left (the fawn) lay there.”
Bauer said his fellow crew members didn’t want anything to do with him until he’d showered and discarded his soiled clothing. The fortunate fawn is likely relieved for the city worker, who was just doing his duty.
Submit your story here, and subscribe to our best uplifting stories here.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
