VIDEO: Ontario park warden jumps into icy waters to save deer stranded in Rondeau Bay

An Ontario Parks warden says he will never forget the day he jumped into icy waters to take an animal rescue effort into his own hands.

Zack Stubbington, who works as a warden at Rondeau Provincial Park, said he received a phone call on Jan. 28 from someone living near the area that two deer had fallen into the icy waters of Rondeau Bay. A buck and doe were found about 150 metres away from shore.

"The deer were in a very physically demanding situation where they could stand up but couldn't break the ice anymore due to the exhaustion caused by the ice cold water," said Stubbington, adding the deer had already been in the water for about 40 minutes when he saw them.

Weekend staffing at the park meant there were not as many people around to help as there normally would be. As the deer's time in the water extended, Stubbington — along with another staff member who wishes to remain anonymous — grabbed his ice rescue gear and jumped straight into Rondeau Bay.

The first course of action, he said, was breaking the ice to give the deer a clear path to shore but an unexpected obstacle got in the way.

"A dog on shore scared them back in the opposite direction," said Stubbington. "After an hour, I noticed they had completely stopped moving and were starting to freeze into the ice."

By this time, he said, both deer had been in the water for about three hours. That's when the rescuers tried a new plan: flanking the deer from opposite sides to force them to run toward land.

"Once we closed in on them, they're headed straight for the open path we created. The buck was able to swim freely to shore. After I removed some bigger chunks for the doe, she also took the path and got safely to shore," he said. "It was very rewarding to see them reach shore after about four hours they spent in the ice."

Stubbington said this incident marked the first time he ever jumped into the water to resolve an issue as park warden. For others who observe animals in a similar situation of distress, Stubbington urges them not to take matters into their own hands by jumping into the water.

"Myself and my co-worker whom I worked with to do the deer rescue that have both received training to work in water. We both had the appropriate personal protective equipment. This helped to inform our ultimate decision to enter the water and attempt to the deer rescue," he said.

"Don't ever attempt to perform a rescue by yourself. Always get help from someone that knows what they're doing and are trained."

Click the video above to see exclusive images from the rescue.