Florida Deputies Rescue Buck From Bathroom, Then Guide It Out of a Pool

It’s not every day you hear a sheriff’s deputy say, “That’s a nice buck,” while standing in someone’s bathroom. Yet that’s exactly what happened in St. Johns County, Florida, when a 200‑plus‑pound male deer somehow found its way inside a suburban house.

According to a body‑camera video released by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the call came in as a “buck‑wild” service request. The deputy on the scene, together with the homeowner, tried a few low‑tech tactics: moving a coffee table, shuffling a couch, even trying to “herd” the animal with their voices. The buck, clearly bewildered, seemed more interested in its own reflection than in any escape route.

When the deer wouldn’t budge, the deputy stepped outside, grabbed an extendable pool‑brush, and gently nudged the animal toward a sliding glass door. After a few tentative steps, the nervous buck slipped through and onto the patio.

But the adventure wasn’t over. Instead of bolting away, the deer hopped onto the patio’s in‑ground pool and gave itself an unexpected dip. After a quick splash, it scrambled out, only to wander back into a fenced‑in part of the yard where it got stuck again. The footage shows the buck turning around, leaping back into the water, and then finally shaking itself off and sprinting toward a wooded area, where it disappeared.

“First time I’ve had a deer in a house in 23 years of my profession,” the deputy chuckles, still catching his breath after the surreal encounter. The sheriff’s office added a light‑hearted note to the post: “The buck fled before deputies could issue a warning for trespassing.”

While the incident may sound like a quirky footnote, it also highlights the everyday challenges law enforcement faces when wildlife and human spaces collide. In this case, a simple pool brush and a bit of patience turned a potentially dangerous standoff into a safe release for both the animal and the residents.