Two unusual rescue operations: a false alarm and a tragic outcome

British lifeboat crew launched for a reported parachute crash found birthday balloons; US animal services euthanized a deer after mud rescue.

• On July 8, RNLI volunteer crew at West Mersea launched a lifeboat after a passerby reported a paramotor falling into the sea near Brightlingsea; the crew discovered two large balloons that had escaped from a birthday party.
• The RNLI stated that the caller acted correctly and that the crew treats every report as genuine until proven otherwise.
• In Beaufort County, South Carolina, animal services and police freed a deer stuck in mud; a veterinary examination found an open fracture, and the deer was later euthanized.
• Beaufort County Animal Services announced that the deer's injury made survival impossible and that euthanasia was performed to end its suffering.