Green Lake deer rescue, drone used to help get animals to safety

GREEN LAKE, Wis. - A drone team and others worked to rescue three deer that fell through thin ice Saturday on Big Green Lake.

What we know:

Three deer fell through the ice and were trying to go further into the lake, according to the Green Lake Police Department. Big Green Lake is the deepest, natural inland lake in Wisconsin at 236 feet. 

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

The Green Lake County Sheriff's Office drone team, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and a police officer helped herd two of the deer back to shallow water. However, the third deer did not follow.

Wind pushed ice around, the police department said, making rescue efforts difficult, but a detective ultimately got the third deer close to shore where officers used a rope to help get the animal up the bank.

What we don't know:

It's unclear how long the deer were in the water and where they fell in.