WASHINGTON -- Authorities rescued two deer from the Tidal Basin on Monday morning.

At about 8:30 a.m., a citizen flagged down U.S. Park Police to report two deer near the FDR Memorial, U.S. Park Police spokesman Scott Fear said. Park Police contacted the Washington Humane Society.

Deer Rescued From Tidal Basin | Authorities Talk About Deer Rescue | Slideshow: Images From Scene

Fear said that for a while the deer just stood there, but then they jumped into the Tidal Basin. The police and fire departments were called in and brought boats for the rescue.

"We were a little bit amazed about the call that the deer were in the Tidal Basin," Officer Hilliard Dean said. "We do live close to the park, so it wouldn't be uncommon that it would happen."

Authorities said they had to tranquilize the deer before pulling them from the water. At least one of the deer kept eluding the rescuers' boat before they could approach the deer, tranquilize it, lasso it, and pull it alongside the boat and bring it to shore, Dean said.

"It was a bit of a tussle trying to catch up with the deer," Dean said. "Of course, he tried to stay away from us. It's almost like herding cattle."

Dean said the deer were in the water for about 30 minutes.

The Washington Humane Society has the deer and said they plan to release the deer back into the wild.

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