Not A Dog
After they got within twenty meters of the animal, Ashton lept off of the boat without warning and swam closer to it. Gareth took over control of the boat. But just as Ashton got close, they heard the screech.
The old man’s words of warning rang inside Gareth’s head. From the noises that the animal made, it was clear it wasn’t a dog. He feared for his father’s safety as the worst possibilities ran through his head.
Ashton Andrews
Ashton Andrews lived in Southern Missouri. He was a family man interested in keeping his son and wife happy. He was 45 years old, and even though his son, Gareth, was well into his twenties, he still liked to take him on the family trip.
So Ashton, his wife, and his son would all drive out to one of the Ozark lakes to spend some time on the water. But he had no idea what he would find when they arrived.
Packing Everything
Before they could leave, they had to make sure they had everything. Ashton packed all the essentials, swimming trunks, a wetsuit, life jackets, and most important of all - their speedboat.
It wouldn’t be one of the Andrews family trips without their boat. Many of Gareth’s fond childhood memories were spent on that boat on one lake or another.
Road Trip
After they made sure everything was in the car, the family piled inside, and Ashton backed out of their driveway and hit the road. They had a few miles to cover.
Ashton was familiar with the route. He knew it would take two hours of consistent driving to get to their destination. Along the way, they loved to listen to their favorite songs. But Ashton had no idea what he was driving closer to each and every minute.
Arriving At The Lake
After their road trip, the family arrived at the lake. Ashton pulled up before the slipway and told Gareth to look around and see if he could find a place where they could find food.
Gareth hopped out of the car while his father started working on launching their boat. They had never been on this side of the lake before, and there were lots of old cabins. He saw an old man sitting on the pavement close to some petrol pumps.
A Warning
Gareth greeted the man in a friendly manner and asked, “Hi there, is there any place nearby that we could grab a bite to eat?” The man looked up at him with a scowl and said, “You go onto the lake? I wouldn’t.”
Gareth furrowed his brow in confusion. “Why? What’s wrong with the lake?” “A dangerous animal that treads these waters,” the old man warned him.
Forgetting The Encounter
Gareth couldn’t contain his laughter. He told the man he’d watch out and turned to go help his father with the boat. He pegged the man as a bit cuckoo, and the notion of sea monsters quickly left his mind.
As Gareth helped launch the boat, he had no idea what he was getting himself into. If he had heeded the old man’s warning, we would never have been put into the situation that followed.
Getting Onto The Water
After Gareth rejoined his family, they launched the boat into the lake. They had their cooler boxes full of drinks and their life jackets on.
They were ready for a day of sunshine on the crystal blue water of the lake. But they would get a lot more than they bargained for when Ashton spotted something.
Something In The Water
Ashton was soaking up the warm rays of the sun when he noticed something in the distance. He squinted his eyes to get a better look, but it was useless. They would have to get closer.
He alerted his family of what he saw and then drove the boat a little closer to whatever it was. But then Ashton noticed a key feature - fur.
A Dog
“I think it’s a dog!” Ashton shouted to his family. “Well, then we have to help him,” Gareth added. The boat inched close enough for them to hear splashing. It was clear that the animal was struggling.
They all knew they had to do something, and no one was in doubt whether it was the right thing to do or not. But then they heard something else, a strange screeching.
A Screech
After they got within twenty meters of the animal, Ashton lept off of the boat without warning and swam closer to it. Gareth took over control of the boat. But just as Ashton got close, they heard the screech.
The old man’s words of warning rang inside Gareth’s head. From the noises that the animal made, it was clear it wasn’t a dog. He feared for his father’s safety as the worst possibilities ran through his head.
Fear
Gareth called his dad to get back in the boat, but it was too late. He had already gotten too close to the animal. He felt fear grip him as he heard the shriek again. It was enough to make any man’s blood run cold.
But it seemed his father had more context than he did. He shouted back to the boat, “Hey guys, it’s not a dog!” But if it wasn’t a dog, then what was it?
A Deer
Everything soon became clear as Ashton scooped the animal into his arms and started steering it back to the boat. It was the size of a dog but had much longer legs and ears. Then Gareth realized what it was.
It was a fawn! A baby deer. She had been shrieking because she was scared of drowning. Gareth lept into action and helped his father get it on board.
Safety Of The Boat
Together, the men managed to get the fawn safely on the boat. Ashton even had a towel handy that he used to dry the poor thing off. It was clearly scared, but it accepted the situation it was in.
It couldn’t refuse help from the men, so it just let them take care of it. But now that they had the deer safely in their boat, what would they do next?
Safely Back On Land
Gareth steered the boat towards the shore while Ashton held the deer on his lap. It wasn’t struggling and seemed to understand they were trying to help. Then they arrived at the shore.
At a beautiful moment, Ashton got off the boat into the knee-high water with the deer still in his arms. He carefully made his way to the shoreline and put the deer down. The baby looked back at them as if to say thank you before it bounded into the bushing in front of them.