#New Jersey cops high-tail it to save deer stranded in ocean

An intrepid buck nearly met his maker when he got sucked out to sea in a New Jersey beach town — prompting cops and lifeguards to high-tail it to the rescue.

The animal got stranded in the surf and was first spotted paddling near Rooney’s Oceanfront Restaurant in Long Branch on Thursday morning, the town’s police department said in a Facebook post.

After witnesses called cops, police rowed small paddle boats into the rough waters and guided the buck back to shore roughly half a mile away, near Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park, according to wild photos posted by the department.

The lucky duck deer escaped from the ocean “unharmed,” according to police, who said the incident should serve as a reminder to beach-goers, “to only swim when a lifeguard is present.”

Local beach rescue members and animal control officers also hoofed it to the shore to help.