Hero Cop Saves Life Of Fawn Through C-Section

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WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A resourceful police officer is being credited with saving the life of baby deer after its mother had been hit and killed in Warren County, prompting a life-saving C-section to save the fawn.

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Officer J. Vernon performed the make-shift surgery around 3:30 a.m. when Animal Control Officer Robert Lagonera arrived to help.

Officer J. Vernon shows a fawn delivered by c-section from a deer struck and killed in Warrnen County, N.J. (credit: Washington Township Police Department via Facebook)

One of two babies survived and was taken into the care of Lagonera.

"I arrived and took it home to dry it off and get it warm while rubbing its chest to help the underdeveloped lungs work," posted Lagonera on the department's Facebook page.

The pair's heroic work helping animals was not done Sunday, as both were dispatched to retrieve a loose horse who had wandered away from its paddock that same morning.