A man ice skating on a partially frozen lake in Ontario during his lunch break dragged three stranded deer to safety.

Ryan Peterson said rescuing the deer was a race against time because there was a possibility the animals could fall through the thin ice or become prey for hungry wolves.

'I went back to work and grabbed some rope. The ice was still too thin for any kind of vehicle, so skating was the only option,' Peterson told Storyful.

While on his skates, Peterson deftly wrapped rope around each of the deer, pulling them to the edge of the ice at Lake of the Woods near Kenora.

One of the deer that Ryan Peterson pulled in a safety on a partially iced over lake in Ontario, December 3

The man on his lunch break used skates to coordinate his rescue of the stranded deer

Ryan Peterson looped rope around each of the deer that got stuck a frozen lake in Ontario and eased them to safety

Using rope, Ryan Peterson gingerly brought three stranded deer to solid footing

A deer sits calmly after a rescue from Ryan Peterson, who saved them from a dangerously icy lake near Kenora, Ontario

'If they’re upright, they can kick you,' Peterson told the Guardian. '[But] once they’re down on the ice, and they can’t lift them.'

The trio of white tail deer could be seen on video trying to get back on their feet as Peterson completed the rescue on December 3.

He nudged one of the deer with a big branch, ultimately freeing the animal into the snowy wilderness.

'The two younger ones took off running right away, but the doe stuck around with what seemed like an injured hip or leg,' Peterson told Storyful.

His heroic gesture was expedited after reaching out to the Ontario Natural Resources Ministry.

They wouldn't have employees to send to the lake because it wasn't completely frozen.