Two men fined for rescuing a trapped deer

From The Washington Post:

Two men who rescued a deer trapped in Patapsco River ice were each fined $90 by a state Natural Resources Police officer because they did not have life vests aboard the inflatable boat they used to reach the animal.

A 911 caller reported a deer stuck in the ice near Route 648 in Linthicum about 5 p.m. Thursday, Sgt. Brian Albert of the Maryland Natural Resources Police said.

A natural resources officer and a Baltimore County fire crew arrived and were discussing whether to attempt a rescue when two men on the scene decided they would do it themselves, Albert said.

The two men, Jim Hart and Khalil Abusakran, were advised by the officer on the scene not to attempt a rescue, but they did anyway.

Albert said the men could have faced a stiffer charge: disobeying a lawful order.

"They could have been arrested and taken before a commissioner," Albert said. "Our officer erred on the side of the least invasive action that he could take at the time."

I understand the argument: "If they fell in, then the firefighters would have to risk their own lives to save them." Well, would you be as critical of these guys if they had gone in to save the deer before anyone arrived to tell them otherwise? The fact is the men didn't fall in and didn't end up risking the life of single government employee.

The two rescuers plan to fight the citations in court on February 18, 2011. I hope they win.