A lone whitetail splashed in the Atlantic on Sunday, hooves slicing through breakers that usually cradle surfers and swimmers. For nearly ninety minutes the animal drifted and dove, each dip stirring fresh alarm on Flagler Beach. Crowds shouted. Phones came out. Then two trained lifeguards ditched dry sand for a rescue few Floridians ever imagined.

Photo: YouTube / FOX 35 Orlando

A whitetail buck drifted 300 yards off Flagler Beach, battling rip currents and circling sharks.

Drama off Flagler Beach

Chase Hunter, a senior guard with five seasons under his belt, first thought a pelican flapped offshore. A second look revealed antlers instead of wings, he told WFLA. The deer bobbed nearly 300 yards from a pier, sliding beneath cresting waves before gasping back into view. Beachgoers’ disbelief quickly melted into panic as the animal tired.

Lifeguards jump into action

Hunter grabbed a rescue board. Rookie Leo Peters paddled beside him. Wind whipped; storm-clouds loomed.

“We save lives—whether it’s a human life or, in this case, a deer,” Hunter later told FOX 35 Orlando.

Out on the water, the pair flanked the frightened creature. Peters straddled its torso, securing spindly legs against fiberglass while Hunter steered for shore.

Photo: YouTube / FOX 35 Orlando

Lifeguards Chase Hunter and Leo Peters led the rescue.

A fight against currents — and sharks

The job was messy. The deer thrashed and screamed.

“They yell loud,” Peters told Sunny Skyz, confessing he first thought Hunter was the one crying out.

Water wasn’t the only worry. Two dorsal fins cut the surface nearby, a reminder that local waters host blacktips and sandbars.

“We’re in it now,” Hunter told First Alert 4. Despite circling sharks and pounding surf, the trio inched toward safety.

What drove the deer to sea?

No one can confirm how or why the land mammal embarked on a salt-water voyage. Wildlife biologist Dr. James Kroll—nicknamed “Dr. Deer”—told First Alert 4 that fireworks or barking dogs around the July 4th weekend may have spooked the animal.

Photo: YouTube / FOX 35 Orlando

Rip currents and choppy breakers complicated the approach.

Deer swim well but strong lateral currents can shove even seasoned bucks off course. Flagler’s rip-riddled sandbars likely compounded the struggle.

Back on dry sand

Minutes felt like hours, but the rescue board finally scraped bottom. Flagler Beach Fire Rescue Chief Stephen Cox, watching from shore, rushed forward with additional guards and a firefighter, according to ClickOrlando. Together they hoisted 150 pounds of soaked venison across busy A1A, guiding the exhausted animal into the neighboring hammock forest. Wildlife officials on scene said the deer walked away on steady legs and showed no signs of injury.

After the waves settle

Sunday’s save marks the first deer recovery for Flagler Beach Ocean Rescue in its 95-year history. Chief Cox praised the team’s calm under pressure.

“We’re extremely proud of them—not only for their concern for public safety, but for the environment as well,” he told FOX 35 Orlando.

Hunter and Peters downplayed hero status, stating the uniform demands the same response whether the victim sports fins, feathers, or antlers.

A day later the lifeguard stand sat quiet, seabirds calling over gentle swells. Yet locals now scan the horizon with fresh eyes, proof that anything can appear in the surf. If it does, Flagler’s guards stand ready—rescue board in hand—prepared to meet the unexpected.