Deer Through The Ice and Officials Help Sandy Efforts: City Blogs

A deer walked onto Staring Lake and fell through about 75 yards offshore from the Eden Prairie Outdoor Center, Fire Chief George Esbensen wrote in his blog Wednesday.

Firefighters in cold-weather suits brought the deer to shore and released it, Esbensen wrote. He warned residents to stay off the ice, since it's "barely 2 inches thick in most spots."

"Everybody should stay off the ice, it is not safe anywhere in the state and especially in this area at this time of year," he wrote.

Earlier this month, Esbensen and Eden Prairie Police Department Lt. Greg Weber traveled to New York to help with recovery efforts, according to the Police Department blog.

They arrived on Nov. 9 and "spent seven days working 12-hour shifts in a windowless bunker." 

According to the blog, ... "They helped track and retrieve pumps, generators, light towers, and other assets that had been deployed to aid in the recovery efforts...

"... While the work itself was not glamorous, it was an essential task to help prepare for future disasters. They found the deployment rewarding in that the people of New York were determined, polite, appreciative and hard-working. The lessons they learned in New York can be applied both here in Eden Prairie and wherever they are deployed next."