KERSHAW, S.C. — Workers at a South Carolina restaurant were startled when a deer ran inside the building on Monday. They were even more surprised when the frightened animal lost its footing on the hardwood floor and scrambled to regain its balance.
The 521 Filling Station in Kershaw, which bills itself as the “home of the 16-ounce ribeye,” had a rare encounter with the deer on Monday, The State newspaper of Columbia reported.
Surveillance video recorded on Monday showed a small deer running inside the restaurant’s dining area, which was mostly empty except for servers and other staff members. The deer knocked over a chair and desperately looked for a way to return outside, according to the newspaper.
“The deer ran across Highway 521 straight through our front door, shattering it,” co-owner Kevin Sims wrote in a Wednesday message to The State. “He then went inside and ran around frantically.”
The video shows the distressed deer falling over several times as it was unable to get a secure grip on the restaurant’s floors, WCIV-TV reported.
Sims said Beth Truesdale, a server, and Maxine Dease, a cook, were assisted by another customer as they were able to wrangle the deer outside and release the animal, according to The State.
Well done.
Sims said the deer only caused minimal damage during its scramble inside the restaurant.
“Luckily, only the front door was damaged,” Sims wrote in his message to the newspaper.
The deer was not injured, and neither were restaurant staffers or customers, WCIV reported.