Deer season officially began Saturday in Columbus County, but about 60 members of New Life Community Church had an early — and frightening — start to opening day Friday night.
The church was hosting its youth night, which featured a number of activities at the Maultsby Street campus, including a special hayride through downtown Whiteville.
As the tractor pulling the two trailers full of children and adults down Lee Street, an eight-point buck deer burst from the woods along Soules Swamp and collided with the tractor and trailers.
“It was just by the grace of God that none of those children got hurt,” said Doug Smith, who was helping with the ride. “Normally a deer will jump over something like that. If he had done that, he would have landed in those kids.”
Instead the buck went underneath, frightening the passengers but not hurting any of the riders.
The deer had to be euthanized, Smith said.
The youth night harvest festival was the largest one yet for the church, Macyne Garrell said. The procession had to stop because the deer was hung under one of the trailers, and the adults quickly moved the children a safe distance away from the animal.
“I thank God for Mr. Doug,” Garrell said. “Those kids were scared.”
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