![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_Undated-handout-photo-issued-by-Southport-Offshore-Rescue-Trust-of-an-escaped-reindeer-who-fled-a-.webp\")
The reindeer was tracked down after a huge search and rescue effort(Image: Copyright remains with handout provider)<\/p>\nThe reindeer fled a festive celebration in the coastal town of Formby, Merseyside, in the early afternoon on Saturday, sparking a huge search operation<\/p>\n
11:23, 01 Dec 2025Updated 11:23, 01 Dec 2025<\/p>\n
The reindeer was tracked down after a huge search and rescue effort(Image: Copyright remains with handout provider)<\/p>\n
Armed police, Royal Marines and the Coastguard have helped “save Christmas<\/a> ” after a reindeer went on the run in a seaside town. The reindeer escaped from a festive celebration in the coastal town of Formby, Merseyside<\/a>, during the early afternoon on Saturday, prompting a massive search operation.<\/p>\n The creature was ultimately found on a beach, where it was spotted using thermal binoculars, before being returned to its owners, believed to be from North Wales.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Southport Lifeboat, said they received a call at around 4.45pm asking them to assist in the search for the escaped reindeer.<\/p>\n Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter<\/a> sent twice daily to your inbox<\/p>\n Merseyside Police, who had been hunting for the deer for several hours by this point, had managed to track down the animal on Formby beach but lost sight of it.<\/p>\n They were concerned it might end up in a nearby river, so called in the lifeboat quad team as well as coastguard teams from HM Coastguard Southport and HM Coastguard Crosby to help.<\/p>\n The Southport Lifeboat team managed to spot the animal using thermal binoculars.<\/p>\n They then used quad bikes to guide it into some nearby sand dunes, where a police drone was used to monitor the animal.<\/p>\n The reindeer was said to be “pretty tired” by this point and officers hoped it would lie down in the sand dunes and rest, which it eventually did.<\/p>\n A vet travelled from Salisbury, Wiltshire, with sedatives, and plans were made to tranquilise the animal and then get it in a trailer and back to its stable. The Southport Lifeboat crew were dismissed around 10pm, after approximately five hours aiding in the search.<\/p>\n The vet received support from the Royal Marines, who were conducting an exercise at a nearby firing range, and successfully sedated the animal around 1.20am on Sunday morning.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Southport Lifeboat characterised the night’s events as “bizarre”, adding: “It’s quite topical for the time of year, isn’t it?”.<\/p>\n They stated that the emergency services are always ready to “lend a hand” and everyone contributed to the rescue.<\/p>\n “Christmas is saved thanks to some great work from multiple agencies,” Southport Lifeboat added.<\/p>\n HM Coastguard Crosby shared about the rescue on Facebook<\/a>, commenting: “Thankfully Christmas is saved thanks to all agencies involved.”<\/p>\n![\"Escaped](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_The-escaped-reindeer-ended-up-on-Formby-beach-The-Southport-Offshore-Rescue-TrustPA.jpg\")
The reindeer escaped from an event in Merseyside <\/p>\n![\"Undated](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1764623996_778_0_Undated-handout-photo-issued-by-Southport-Offshore-Rescue-Trust-of-an-escaped-reindeer-who-fled-a-.webp\")
The animal was eventually discovered on a beach, where it was located with thermal binoculars(Image: Copyright remains with handout provider)<\/p>\n