Fawn saved as tourist performs roadside C-section

An Albertatravellerwho stopped to dealwith road kill ended up performing an emergencyC-section anddelivering afawn by the side of a highway in northern British Columbia.

Sean Steelewas on vacation with his wife, driving from theirhome in Barrhead, Alta.,to Prince Rupert, B.C., to visit familyand go fishing.

Several hours from theirdestination, Steele pulled over to helpafter apickuptruck ahead of him struck a deer on Highway 16 near the Kitwanga Bridge, about 1,200 kilometres north of Vancouver.

Steele said the deer washorribly injured,sohe grabbed a knife from his own pickup to put the doe "out of its misery."

Then he pulled the carcassoff the highway into the ditch.

That's when Steelesaw a sign of life.

"I seen the fawn in the uterus twitching," said Steele.

"We saw the fawn's legs hanging out. We just did a caesarean on her," he said.

"On the side ofthe road, I cut the doeopen and pulled her fawn out."

Then he worked toresuscitate the newborn that had just lost its mother.

"I cleaned out its mouth, put some grass in its nose so it would sneeze and get allthe crap out of it," said Steele. "It starting breathing."

"We just dried it off and looked after it. Put it in the back seat of my truck."

Steele said he called conservation officials, who advised him to take the fawnto the Northern Lights Wildlife Society refugein Smithers, 110 kilometres away.

"Apparently, it's going to be fine," said Steele.

He acknowledges it's not something that happens every day,but he's pretty humble about his part in the deer delivery.

"I have lots of experience with animals," said Steele. "I hunt and fish. Used to chasing deer around the bush.Milked cows for 20 years."

Steele's family helped name the female fawnFriday, for the day of her unusual birth.

Alberta tourist cuddles the fawn he delivered by C-section in B.C.

8 years ago

Duration 0:28

Sean Steele's wife took this video of the female fawn, Friday

The fawn is now drinking milk from a bottle "like a champion,"according to a social media post from the Northern Lights refuge, where Friday has the company of a male fawn."We are happy to report it seems to be unharmed."