NYPD Harbor Unit officers described on Wednesday the incredible moment they rescued an injured bald eagle clinging to ice in the Hudson River.
Freedom rang for the stranded bird on Tuesday afternoon when four eagle-eyed cops (pun intended) spotted it floating on some ice in the frosty waters. The officers were patrolling the area to check the ice flow when they sensed trouble and immediately made their way to the animal, which was squawking in pain.
“We used our binoculars, and we realized that it was a bird. As we got closer, we realized it was an American Eagle, and at that point, we had to kind of figure out what we’re going to do,” Officer Michael Russo recalled. “We put a plan together, and it was crying, yelping, you could see it was in distress.”
The cops didn’t wing it; however, they said their training kicked in. Pilot Patrick Memi explained that he had to ease the vessel slowly in order not to harm the fowl.
“He was struggling to stay up,” Memi recalled. “We had to use a lot of finesse, because it’s a jet boat, so it displaces a lot of water. I didn’t want to displace the water and knock the bird into the water, because then you have a whole different type of rescue.”
When they arrived beside the eagle, they could see blood on its claws; it also appeared to have suffered a wing injury that prevented it from flying. Body camera footage from the rescue showed the cops calmly talking to it in an attempt to ease it as they slipped a ketch pole over its wings. The bird remained calm throughout the rescue, leading the cops to believe it knew they were trying to help.
“We got it on the boat, just trying to talk to it and calm it down. I feel like it kind of wanted to be saved. It knew it was in trouble,” Sgt. Mike Amello said.
Once it was pulled aboard, the officers handed their feathered friend over to The Raptor Trust Sanctuary in New Jersey for further treatment and recovery.
The cops told amNewYork that it doesn’t matter if it is a human being in distress or an animal, they will be committed to making the rescue.
“We rescue everybody, anything and anybody we’re gonna, do our best to help them,” Officer Russo added.
