SANTA ROSA BEACH - A woman taking a morning walk at Tops'l Resort in South Walton County was seriously injured when she was trampled by deer Tuesday.
According to South Walton Fire District Deputy Chief Sean Hughes, the woman was near a wooded area near the tennis courts shortly before 8 a.m. when three deer ran out of the woods and trampled her.
Emergency crews arrived minutes later and called for AirHeart helicopter to take the woman to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola because of possible head injuries.
The woman was no identified.
According to Tops'l employee Aubrey Williams, who saw the incident, the woman, her husband and daughter had gone for a walk. The mother got too warm and turned to return to her rental unit. She was some distance away from her family when the deer came out of the brush.
"She was at the wrong place at the wrong time," said Williams.
Williams said the woman has broken ribs, back injuries and a light concussion and was in intensive care at Sacred Heart.
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/woman_9630___article.html/deer_walton.html
Replies
32
Beach Fanatic
That is unbelievable, I've never heard of such a thing. What a shame for that poor woman.
Beach Fanatic
So sorry for her. Wonder what was going on with the deer.
I need to go back and reread your post aleonard. Has something like this ever happened before?
I need to go back and reread your post aleonard. Has something like this ever happened before?
Beach Fanatic
Now THAT is bizarre. :shock:
I hope she will eventually be OK...
I hope she will eventually be OK...
SoWal Insider
Bizarre. Something similar happened to a friend though. Saw a deer feeding on brush, came to a full stop in his car in case the deer jumped out in front of him. He had his window open, then when he saw the deer wasn't moving, decided to go. Well, the deer must have gotten spooked and ran right into his car window and head butted him. He got a mild concussion.
SoWal Insider
:shock: Wow. Bambi hates tourists, who knew?
That poor woman, if you hear anything else on her condition please keep us posted. You all be careful down there.
That poor woman, if you hear anything else on her condition please keep us posted. You all be careful down there.
Beach Lover
That is one crazy story!! Hopefully she is okay.
Beach Fanatic
I wonder what was chasing the deer to make them bolt out of the woods like that? Havent there been reports of a panther/other big cat in that area recently?
Skunky
global warming
Beach Comber
My son attends Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. There is are woods and a trail through campus. There have been deer attacks on campus in the Spring, when mothers are protecting their young--There have been warnings posted around campus the last few years--
SoWal Expert
Sorry to read this story. It may be a first in South Walton, but it doesn't sound uncommon. I bet you can find some interesting deer attacks by googling videos for "deer attack." I know of at least one, where a hunter got his @ss kicked all over the place by a buck. However, he was wearing doe scent to attract the deer to see what would happen. (Curiosity killed the cat.)
SoWal Insider
global warmingpot stirrer
I hope she is ok.
Beach Fanatic
Deer are startled easily, and when startled, tend to do all the wrong things. I was told, many years too late, that if you see deer on the side of the highway, do NOT change your speed. If you take your foot off the accelerator and begin braking, the change in the engine noise will startle them and they will run out into the road. This actually happened to me many years ago on 331 just south of DeFuniak - I saw a deer, deer looks at me, I come to a virtual stop in the road, and the deer runs INTO my car, slides across the hood, rolls off and limps off into the woods. Meanwhile, I'm left with dents.
SWGB
Could it have just been a freak accident? Maybe the deer were running thru the woods and she was in the wrong place at the wrong time?
SoWal InsiderAuthor
Could it have just been a freak accident? Maybe the deer were running thru the woods and she was in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Usually, deer will run away, unless confused and startled. I would guess either it was a wrong place, wrong time issue or something was chasing them.
SoWal Expert
I'm thinking it was more a case of a woman where the deer were running then a deliberate attack.
I've never known several unprovoked deer to attack at once - if it was a moose or something I'd totally understand - they're MEAN!.
I've never known several unprovoked deer to attack at once - if it was a moose or something I'd totally understand - they're MEAN!.
SoWal Expert
Maybe it is a sign from God that we need to stop invading nature with our developments.
SoWal Expert
Another theory - could she have been wearing a musky perfume that upset them?
SoWal InsiderAuthor
Maybe it is a sign from God that we need to stop invading nature with our developments.
That's what my dad said.
Beach Fanatic
Usually, deer will run away, unless confused and startled. I would guess either it was a wrong place, wrong time issue or something was chasing them.
I think this certainly "bucks" the trend of deer running away when confused.
SoWal InsiderAuthor
I think this certainly "bucks" the trend of deer running away when confused.
Good one. A confused deer equals a dangerous deer. Just scared, they will usually run in the opposite direction as fast as possible.
Beach Fanatic
Wow, that's wild. Too bad. Nature is crazy. Sometimes I think that humans forget that we are all part of nature with our manicured lawns and trees- then something like this reminds us that we are part of the big picture. I'm always amazed when I just see a coyote cross the road.
On a lighter note, my wife has a story about her dad traveling in a car some hunters in Ohio. They "found" a dead deer and put it in the car with her dad. They were a few miles down the road when the deer wakes up and starts thrashing about. Somehow they manage to pull over and let the deer out. Hmmm... I don't know. Urban (rural) myth?
On a lighter note, my wife has a story about her dad traveling in a car some hunters in Ohio. They "found" a dead deer and put it in the car with her dad. They were a few miles down the road when the deer wakes up and starts thrashing about. Somehow they manage to pull over and let the deer out. Hmmm... I don't know. Urban (rural) myth?
Beach Lover
Wow, that's wild. Too bad. Nature is crazy. Sometimes I think that humans forget that we are all part of nature with our manicured lawns and trees- then something like this reminds us that we are part of the big picture. I'm always amazed when I just see a coyote cross the road.
On a lighter note, my wife has a story about her dad traveling in a car some hunters in Ohio. They "found" a dead deer and put it in the car with her dad. They were a few miles down the road when the deer wakes up and starts thrashing about. Somehow they manage to pull over and let the deer out. Hmmm... I don't know. Urban (rural) myth?
sounds like that scene from that movie "tommy boy" (i think that was the one) with chris farley! i've never seen the whole thing, but part was hysterical!
i do feel horrible for that woman, though. there she is on vacation & she ends up in the hospital, not from being attacked from a shark, but by a deer!
about a cat being seen in that area, i live about 3 miles east of there & we did see some sort of large wild cat in our backyard a couple of months ago. it was right at dusk & hard to see, but it climbed up a tree like a flash!
Beach Fanatic
local urban myths
Living here for 13 years, I've heard some local myths. They might be true though for all I know (I wouldn't have believed a person would be run down be deer). Someone told me they've seen giant sea otters. I've had family see what they think was a black panther one night near For the Health of it a few years ago. Lately I hear that there is a giant anaconda that occasionally eats small dogs in Oyster Lake. And, this is true, I swear, that one night about 9 years ago I saw a bigfoot on the shore of Draper Lake. This isn't much of a story, but when Shades restaurant was in Seaside, a big tail-less minx (somewhat of a cross between a housecat and a bobcat) walked right in the front door like it owned the place.
These are only animal stories, I can only guess what stories about people might be out there.
Living here for 13 years, I've heard some local myths. They might be true though for all I know (I wouldn't have believed a person would be run down be deer). Someone told me they've seen giant sea otters. I've had family see what they think was a black panther one night near For the Health of it a few years ago. Lately I hear that there is a giant anaconda that occasionally eats small dogs in Oyster Lake. And, this is true, I swear, that one night about 9 years ago I saw a bigfoot on the shore of Draper Lake. This isn't much of a story, but when Shades restaurant was in Seaside, a big tail-less minx (somewhat of a cross between a housecat and a bobcat) walked right in the front door like it owned the place.
These are only animal stories, I can only guess what stories about people might be out there.
SWGB
I totally believe the Black Panther story, and the snake story at Oyster lake is very much true. As to the others I'm not sure. Not real sure about bigfoot 9 years ago since skunky recently moved to the area. :funn:
Beach Lover
On the way home one late night in the fall I was turning on to 30-A off of 98 near Topsail and three or more deer passed in front of my car near the Topsail Campground. They were large bucks. I almost braked but didn't; they were far enough in the distance to not disturb them. I have seen many deer off of Hwy 98 near Topsail so I try to be cautious.
Peace!
Peace!
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