46-year-old Paul McDonald had gone to feed his pet deer when the animal began attacking him. His wife and son heard what was going on and went out to see what the commotion was, His wife entered the enclosure to assist her husband and she was also attacked. The couple teenage son then hit the deer with a lump of wood to save his mother. Officers were called to the property and shot the deer before paramedics could attend to the couple. The father was gored to death and the mother was flown by helicopter where her condition was described as critical. The animal, described as a cross between a red deer and an elk was their pet for 6 years.