Florida Crews Rescue Tangled Osprey

Nov. 23, 2009
DAVIE, Fla. -- Firefighters worked Sunday night to rescue a bird that was trapped 60 feet up in a tree and was tangled in fishing line. Nearby homeowner Debbie Tam told Local 10 she saw the bird frantically flapping its wings and called several agencies for help. "It was not going to help itself and it needed someone to come and help him," she said.

DAVIE, Fla. --

Firefighters worked Sunday night to rescue a bird that was trapped 60 feet up in a tree and was tangled in fishing line.

Nearby homeowner Debbie Tam told Local 10 she saw the bird frantically flapping its wings and called several agencies for help.

"It was not going to help itself and it needed someone to come and help him," she said.

Davie Fire Rescue came to the scene and coordinated a rescue with several agencies, including Florida Power and Light, which sent in a crew with a four-wheel drive cherry picker.

FPL crews helped outfit Wildlife Care Center expert Jacquelyn Johnston, who outlined the plan.

"I'm going to get control of the other talons. I'm going to wrap his body, and then the second person can catch the branch," Johnston said.

Johnston and an FPL worker were sent up more than 60 feet in the bucket to rescue the osprey. Within moments, the two came back down and explained how they were able to successfully free the bird.

"We were able to cut the branch very quickly and got him in. He was fighting on the way down, so he's got a lot of life left in him," Johnston said.

That, Johnston said, is the good news. Veterinarians who had been standing by treated the bird.

Copyright 2009 by Post-Newsweek Stations. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

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