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New Zealand firefighter killed on his farm by stag

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AP Wellington
Last Updated : Apr 16 2020 | 12:44 PM IST

A New Zealand firefighter was killed by a stag that attacked him on his farm.

Police said the man was attacked Wednesday evening at his property in the town of Makarewa and suffered fatal injuries. Police said the stag was euthanized and a coroner would investigate the man's death.

Ben McLean had been a volunteer and professional firefighter for 43 years, according to the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union.

It said McLean's own colleagues had been called out to respond to the attack.

He was highly respected by his crews and colleagues and will be remembered as a true character of the Invercargill brigade, National Secretary Wattie Watson said in a statement.

In a 2018 interview with news organization Stuff, McLean said he had always wanted to work for his town and had attended several thousand fires.

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We do the best we can," he said at the time.

McLean helped fight a house fire the night before his death, Stuff reported.

It is currently the mating season for deer in New Zealand, a time when stags can become more aggressive and combative.

It is rare for deer to kill people.

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First Published: Apr 16 2020 | 12:44 PM IST

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