SPCA: 1 deer dies, 2 rescued after breaking through Yaphank lake ice

One deer drowned in Upper Lake in Yaphank on Sunday but rescuers saved two others from the same fate, the Suffolk County SPCA said.

The deer had fallen through ice on the lake and were trapped in the water.

“Today’s situation ended tragically for at least one deer,” Roy Gross, chief of the Suffolk County SPCA, said in a statement.

At least one other deer safely made it to shore on its own and ran off, officials said.

The Suffolk County Fire Rescue and Emergency Services responded and asked the SPCA to assist in the water rescue. The Yaphank Fire Department and Star Foundation also responded.