Magical things happen during the holidays, and that's exactly what a small town in France thought when residents of Verneuil-sur-Indre saw a deer stuck on a rooftop in town. The real-life Rudolph had come to scout out the town ahead of the big night, but in doing so, he managed to get stuck on a rooftop, which was becoming slicker and slicker as a light rain started to fall.
"I heard a noise at around 5pm. I thought people were throwing out glass bottles," said homeowner Marie-Thérèse Decloux.
Fearing danger for the troubled Sika deer, the townspeople kicked into rescue mode with an ingenious plan. Using a rubber-like ladder, a tarp and a rope, they were able to cover part of the roof with the more traction-friendly surface in high hopes that they could convince the reindeer to use it as his path to freedom, according to White Wolfe Pack.
The mighty rescue attempt took over three hours, with more and more of the town gathering to offer support to the rescuers trying to guide the wild deer to the tarp and to safety.
Once the exhausted deer finally found the traction he needed, he was able to escape the rooftop to safety, doing so to the roaring cheers of the crowd that had weathered the rain to cheer him on. The incident gives hope that he makes a positive report back to Santa that the residents of Verneuil-sur-Indre should all make the nice list and are worth the visit.
