Sleigh it ain’t so!
A renegade reindeer escaped a Christmas attraction in Britain over the weekend, sparking an eight-hour search-and-rescue operation involving cops, volunteer coast guards and even the Royal Marines.
The festive four-legged fugitive went missing from “Santa’s Enchanted Forest,” a holiday attraction in the Liverpool suburb of Formby, just before 5 p.m. Saturday, according to a Facebook post from the Southport Offshore Rescue Trust.
“As darkness fell, Merseyside Police who had been tracking the animal lost sight of it,” the trust said in a statement.
The coast guard was put on red-nose alert over fears the runaway Rudolph, which was trotting along the beach, might get trapped in the River Mersey.
“Using thermal binoculars, our quad team located the reindeer on the beach. Although capture proved difficult, the team successfully shepherded the animal into the sand dunes at Altcar Rifle Range, where a police drone maintained watch,” said the trust, which runs a 24-hour lifesaving service in the area.
“The reindeer eventually settled, allowing a vet, supported by Royal Marines, to safely secure it. Christmas is saved thanks to some great work from multiple agencies,” the statement said.
Residents thought authorities were joking when they enquired about an on-the-lam reindeer.
“We thought it was a stag at first, but then a National Trust ranger asked if we’d seen a real reindeer,” a resident told the Formby Bubble.
“We pointed them in the direction it went — literally trotting north up the beach. Then the police arrived,” the local said.
