MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crew came to the aid of a young brown pelican on Sunday and it was all caught on camera.
Boaters enjoying a sunny afternoon near Haulover Inlet were met with a tense situation when they noticed a pelican helplessly hanging from a tree, ensnared in a fishing line.
Two other pelicans sat nearby, while another circled overhead, but it was clear that the young pelican needed immediate help.
Spectators could do little more than wait for first responders, with one calling out, “Do not throw anything at the pelican; I’m having someone come to rescue it.”
MDFR quickly arrived on the scene with a fire truck and ladder.
Firefighters extended their equipment and climbed to the bird, carefully extricating it from the tree as anxious onlookers cheered. Smiles spread across the faces of the crowd, especially among children, who had been watching the dramatic rescue unfold.
The injured pelican was handed off to Ocean Rescue personnel and placed in a temporary cage for transport.
Later, rescuers removed a large fish hook, complete with a lure, that had been lodged in the bird’s wing.
“He’ll be alright,” one rescuer reassured the pelican, who, though shaken, was now safe.
An Ocean Rescue rescuer said the young pelican is set to undergo wing surgery to address the infection and wounds caused by the hook. Though the bird will need weeks, if not months, of recovery and physical therapy, they said his prognosis is positive.
Animal advocates like Local 10′s Jacey Birch are using the incident to remind the public of the importance of properly disposing of fishing lines and hooks, which pose a significant threat to wildlife.
“Never toss them in the water, on the ground, or in trees,” said Birch.