IRMO, S.C. — We’ve all seen it in the movies, a firefighter rescuing a cat from a tree. But have you even seen a firefighter rescue a bird from fishing line?
The Irmo Fire District went out of their way to save one of nature’s beauties.
Assistant Chief Ben Smith told us about what happened:
“So yesterday I received a phone call from our fire chief, Mike Sonefeld saying that he had seen a bird that he thought was injured. Everyday on his way home, he drives by a pond, there’s a great blue heron in there he usually sees. But in this case he saw it but it looked like it was in trouble. So he stopped, checked on the bird and found out it was trapped in some fishing line and kind of upside down hanging from the dock, it looked like someone had left fishing poles right there. So, he called me and asked me to try and come out and help."
Smith stopped by the Carolina Wildlife Center on the way to check and see if he could bring the soon to be rescued bird to them and they sent him with some advice on how to handle it as well like hold it by the beak because that is its only self-defense.
Smith said Chief Sonefeld had cut the bird from the line but it immediately ran away from them. They surrounded it, knowing it was injured, and eventually were able to capture the bird.
"The poor thing was just tired because it had been fighting for its life for in the fishing lines for hours," Smith said, "We were able to get the bird, control it and get it to the Carolina Wild Life Center yesterday where they’ve been taking care of it and trying to nurse it back to health.”
We spoke to the Carolina Wildlife Center who said the bird is doing better.
Great job Irmo Fire District!
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