To the Editor:
On March 5 at 5 a.m. I saw a doe out on the ice in front of our home. I took a picture. Then I realized that the ice she was standing on was very thin. A few days earlier, it was nothing but open water.
I called 911 at 5:20 a.m. and asked for assistance as to whom I could call. They gave me the warden’s service. The call was answered by a man, whose name I didn’t get, because I was concerned about the doe.
I asked the man if they could come and rescue the doe. He said there was nothing they could do but if I wanted to go out and scare it off the ice, I could, but be careful. I asked him if they had an inflatable boat that they could use and he said they couldn’t put human life in danger. Then I said its okay for me to go out there and not you. You are the professionals, or so I thought.
I left for work at 7 a.m., upset that nothing had been done.
I called home at 10:30 a.m. inquiring if the doe had made it to safety. My better half said, “No, she went through the ice. I wasn’t going to tell you until you came home.”
Then, at 11:30 a.m. or noon, Game Wardens and another man came knocking on the door at home. Borrowing my better half’s skiff, they dragged it over the thick ice to the open water, where the doe had perished.
So I wonder, where is the customer service after the initial call at 5:20 a.m.? Six hours later they arrived. I found out she was a mother to be and her fawn didn’t have the option to live. I also want to thank all of you who called after I did to encourage the rescue of life.
I went to Hannaford’s to purchase some flowers to put on the ice in memory, so call me an old softee, it’s ok.
Lois Soohey, Newcastle
