In Anne Arundel County, Maryland, a kayaker was cruising the South River when he noticed something peering back at him from the reeds that bordered the water.
He never thought this animal would be the one.
Injured Animal
That same day, a local bird rescuer named Donna Cole got word of an eagle that had been struck by a car on a highway.
In order to divert traffic away from the bird attempting to find refuge in the South River, a Maryland police officer beat Donna and arrived first.
When Donna finally showed up, she became irritated upon discovering that the bird was hiding in an extremely challenging location.
Donna told The Dodo that the region was very forested and had many sticky, thorny bushes, making it impossible to capture the eagle and later return it.
Donna realized right away that she would have to do this rescue from the water because it would not be feasible on land.
Difficult Rescue
Arundel Rivers Federation board member John Flood, who had a boat and was more than willing to assist, was contacted by the rescuer.
Donna noted, “John was pretty much immediately up for this adventure.”
The two rescuers saw the eagle right away as they were rafting down the river. Regretfully, it escaped once more, leaving the rescuers perplexed as to his location.
Under the blazing sun, the rescuers made another attempt to locate the injured animal, but were unsuccessful, so they called it a day.
When Donna heard from Owl Moon Raptor Center that a kayaker had spotted the eagle across the river, she went home to prepare for another search party. Donna was ecstatic.
“The fact that the police officer found the eagle the first time and the kayaker found the bird the second time was like two miracles,” Donna said.
Second try
Determined to return with the bird, Donna and John headed down to the river once more.
The kayaker was calmly waiting beside the eagle, and the rescuers soon located him.
When John, who was negotiating the shallow water, got as close to the bird as he could, Donna dove into the two feet of mud in an attempt to catch it.
And she did!Donna was able to catch the injured eagle and successfully get it into the boat, despite losing her shoe in the process.
He was taken to the Owl Moon Raptor Center right away, where he would be treated until he recovered.
Donna is quite happy. She is incredibly appreciative of everyone who helped her get this amazing animal the support it need. She will always remember this rescue, for sure.
This was my longest and most challenging rescue to date. Donna concluded, “It was such a relief to finally get this bird.”
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