Oakland County rescuers pulled off one incredible save that had this trapped deer walking free

A Michigan driver spotted something unusual on the highway.

What happened next showed the dedication of first responders who go above and beyond.

And Oakland County rescuers pulled off one incredible save that had this trapped deer walking free.

Deer gets trapped in one-foot gap between highway barriers

Monday afternoon on Interstate 75 in Auburn Hills turned into an unexpected rescue mission when a four-point buck found itself in serious trouble.¹

The deer had been struck by a vehicle and somehow ended up wedged in the narrow gap between concrete barriers separating the northbound and southbound lanes.²

A passing motorist spotted the trapped animal around 2 p.m. and immediately called Auburn Hills Police to report the situation.³

The gap between the barriers measured just one foot wide – leaving the buck completely stuck with no way to escape on its own.⁴

This wasn’t a job for standard animal control.

Auburn Hills Police took one look at the situation and called in the big guns – Oakland County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team.⁵

Rescue team pulls off hour-long extraction

The Search and Rescue crew showed up with a technical rescue truck loaded with the kind of equipment you need when standard animal control won’t cut it.⁶

Heavy-duty straps, lifting gear, the works.⁷

First order of business – shut down I-75 in both directions near Lapeer Road.⁸

The rescuers got to work figuring out how to free a 150-pound animal wedged in a 12-inch gap without making things worse.

They rigged the straps around the buck and started lifting – slowly, bit by bit – while working to untangle its hooves from the concrete.⁹

The whole operation took close to an hour.¹⁰

The deer had some bruising from getting hit by the car, but nothing broken.¹¹

Sheriff Michael Bouchard didn’t hold back about what his team accomplished.

"I’m proud of our team whose skill and determination made it possible to rescue this deer from certain death," Bouchard said.¹²

Buck gets second chance at life

Once the deer was freed, Oakland County Animal Control took over to check the animal’s condition.¹³

The examination confirmed what rescuers suspected – the buck was shaken up and bruised but otherwise healthy.¹⁴

The Animal Control team transported the deer to Bald Mountain Recreation Area where they released it back into the wild.¹⁵

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office shared photos of the dramatic rescue on social media, showing the deer wedged between the barriers and later being lifted to safety.

"In the midst of a busy day, our search and rescue team responded to a call regarding a deer trapped in cement barricades, facing a fatal outcome without expert extraction," the Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook.¹⁶

"Their diligence, training, and hard work paid off, enabling them to rescue the young deer and transfer it to a wildlife rehabilitation center," the post continued.¹⁷

The rescue shows the level of training and specialized equipment that modern search and rescue teams maintain for unusual emergencies.

Without that technical rescue truck and the team’s expertise, the trapped buck would have died on that highway.

Instead, it’s running free in the recreation area thanks to rescuers who refused to give up on an animal in distress.

¹ Aileen Wingblad, "Search and rescue team saves deer trapped between I-75 concrete barriers," The Oakland Press, October 14, 2025.

² Ibid.

³ Ibid.

⁴ Ibid.

⁵ Ibid.

⁶ Ibid.

⁷ Ibid.

⁸ Ibid.

⁹ Ibid.

¹⁰ Ibid.

¹¹ Ibid.

¹² Ibid.

¹³ Ibid.

¹⁴ Ibid.

¹⁵ Ibid.

¹⁶ "Oakland County Sheriff’s Office," Facebook, October 13, 2025.

¹⁷ Ibid.