Mallory Harrigan and her colleagues weren't expecting that a trip out on a crab-fishing boat would lead to them performing a lifesaving rescue. When the group headed out along the coast of Labrador, Canada, they noticed an iceberg with a small creature on top of it. At first the group thought the animal was a baby seal, but then they realized that the animal was not a seal – and it was in desperate need of help.
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When the group got closer, they discovered the animal wasn't supposed to be out on the water. An Arctic fox clung to the iceberg. Without help, the fox would face a terrible fate.
Performing a mid-ocean rescue isn't easy, but all the people on the boat agreed they had to try to help the fox. They pulled the boat up alongside the iceberg and were able to quickly get it on board before he even had time to fight.
Had they left the fox, he would have drifted farther out to sea, thanks to changing winds.
The group put together a small bed for the fox, using what materials that were on board. They offered him some food and headed back to land with the exhausted animal.
Once back on land, the group gave the fox a bit more food to help him regain his strength. They dropped him off in an old doghouse. Then, they watched as he shook himself off and trotted away.
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Though the rescue only took the group a few minutes to perform, it undoubtedly saved this fox's life. The group still spots the fox from time to time, a poignant reminder of how kindness can change a life.