BARRIE, ONT. -- A deer that struggled in Lake Simcoe's frigid waters in Kewsick for hours on Boxing Day has died.
Officers with the York Regional Marine Unit, along with the help from concerned bystanders, fashioned a sling to rescue the 200-pound doe as she thrashed in the freezing lake, desperately trying to get onto the pier.
The rescuers then loaded the exhausted deer onto a truck and rushed her to Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge in Pefferlaw.
The centre took in the distressed and nearly frozen animal and treated her for several ailments, including gashes to the chest from jagged ice.
In a Dec. 30 Facebook post, Shades of Hope said the doe had passed away that morning.
"Although we managed her pain and diligently treated her physical issues, a win was just not to be," the post reads in part.
Veterinary technician Kate Purvis said last week that the doe's body would have felt like it was "on fire."
She explained that lake water seeped under the animal's skin through open wounds, causing a nasty and painful bacterial infection. The doe was also dealing with bruising and extreme fatigue from trying to escape the icy water.
Staff at the refuge treated the doe with antibiotics, muscle relaxants, and painkillers, trying to mitigate her suffering as much as possible.
Purvis had noted that if the doe's pain became too great, they would have to put her down.
