SALEM, Conn. -- A young doe fell through the ice in Gardner Lake on Tuesday afternoon.

Firefighters from three towns and state environmental crews responded to the scene just before 10 a.m. to rescue the animal, an effort that lasted about two hours.

Video: Doe Was 900 Feet Out In Frigid Lake

"We approached it nice and calmly. We didn't want to scare it any more than it was, figuring it was out there for a while and was already tired," said Ron Przech, an ice rescuer.

Channel 3 Eyewitness News reporter Kevin Hogan reported the doe was in the middle of the lake, about 900 feet out. Volunteer fire companies from Salem, Montville and Bozrah used this rescue as a real-life training exercise.

"It makes us feel good. If we had to do this for a person, we demonstrate the ability to do it," Salem First Selectman Robert Ross said.

"It kept wanting to swim away. It had been out there a while, it broke a big hole," Przech said. "We had to try and corral it in, and then, we didn't really bring it in with the rope. We just let it swim itself on the path going out."

Finally, officials were able to lasso one of the doe's legs to drag the animal safely ashore.

The doe then ran into the woods.