Young deer rescued from Fox River by Aurora Fire Department

A young deer that nearly drowned in the Fox River was saved Wednesday by members of the Aurora Fire Department and the city’s Animal Care and Control division.

According to a press release, a city staff member was on the Downer Place bridge downtown at about 9:30 a.m. when they noticed a young fawn appear out of a drainage pipe in the Fox River.

They called Animal Care and Control, which then called the fire department to assist with a rescue operation.

Fire privates Riley Coomes and Jonas Cebulski, along with animal control officer Quentin Johnson, deployed on the fire department’s rescue boat to save the fawn.

After repeated failed attempts, Cebulski was able to capture the fawn in a net before wrangling it onto the boat.

The fawn was transferred to the care of representatives from the Kane Area Rehabilitation and Education for Wildlife Center (KARE), who named it Jonas after his rescuer.

Following an initial evaluation, Jonas is recovering well and has joined KARE’s general deer population.

For more information on KARE and to receive updates on the status of Jonas, please visit facebook.com/KAREforWildlife.