A wild deer broke through a glass door in the West Center late Saturday morning and took a dive into the 25–yard pool. Law enforcement and animal control officials pulled the fawn out of the pool and guided it out of the building using life floats and pool cleaning poles.
West Center employee Aaliyah Mitchell said she and other students were in the lobby when they heard glass break and splashes in the unattended pool.
“Usually, it’s really quiet on a Saturday, and we suddenly heard two big splashes,” Mitchell said. “No one is supposed to be in the pool without a lifeguard on duty, and we turn our heads to the left, and we see a deer at our window. And then we hear him in our pool, just swimming around for a while. We had to call WUPO and my supervisor to get it out of the pool.”
Law enforcement and animal control officials arrived shortly after and found the deer struggling to get out of the pool. Police officers first used safety hooks to pull the deer out with limited success but eventually pulled the tired animal out of the pool. The deer was steered around the perimeter of the pool with nearby objects and headbutted walls and doors as it exited. It ran off through the adjacent parking lot and away from the building.
“At first, I thought it was cute and was just enjoying its life,” said witness and Winthrop student Josh Wright. “But then it started struggling, and I was like, ‘Oh gosh, oh no!’ It took like thirty minutes, but they eventually got him out.”
Police officers said they do not know where the deer came from or why.
Director of Recreational Services and West Center Operations Grant Scurry said the West Center pool will be closed until further notice and that Recreation Services will “follow DHEC guidelines regarding next steps.” The glass panel broken by the deer has been boarded up.
