On a recent walk around Cobram East, Australia, a woman named Chris was stunned to notice a huge gray figure struggling in a plastic-lined canal near the road, barely staying afloat.
As she approached, the woman realized the distressed animal was a kangaroo and hurriedly called Dutch Thunder Wildlife Shelter for backup. Soon, rescue personnel were on the scene, ready to help.
At first, rescuers stood on the shore and attempted to move the kangaroo with a pole and net, but it wasn’t working. Time was running out, and it was becoming clear that someone was gonna have to jump in. The water was freezing cold, but rescuer Kylee Donkers wasn’t deterred — she hopped in the canal and made a beeline for the shivering ‘roo.
“He was becoming distressed and weak, so I went in,” Donkers told The Dodo. “He was scared but happy for the help.”
Carefully, Donkers guided the kangaroo to a nearby ladder, where another rescuer was waiting with a pole to help heave the animal out of the water. In no time, the kangaroo was back on land, safely sedated and finally beginning to warm up.