She Ri.sk.ed Everything in a Kayak to Save a Dr.ow.ni.ng Eagle and Found Herself Changed Forever! – petcutes
Meeting a wild creature that is asking for help is an emotional experience whether an Eagle, a rabbit or a mouse. We are meant to help others, people and all animals. Witless modern living [end.ang.ers] the whole planet. 🌏 Heaven help us to have courage as the kayaker did here. I am uplifted by her heroism. 🙏🩷
The massive bald eagle thrashed in the water, a tangle of fishing line wrapped around its wing and anchored to a submerged log.
My heart pounded against my ribs. This was a bad idea. A very bad idea. I was in my small kayak on the reservoir, and the bird was just twenty feet away. Its struggle sent waves slapping against my boat. One wing beat the air, useless. The other was [ca.ug.ht ti.ght], pu.ll.ed at a [si.cke.ning] angle. It was going to [dr.o.wn].
I couldn’t just watch. I dug my paddle into the water, closing the distance. The eagle stopped fighting and fixed me with a stare. Its eye was the color of old gold, [fi.er.ce] and intelligent. My brain screamed at me to turn back. Those talons were no joke, they were like sharpened meat hooks. That [be.ak] could take a finger off, clean.
The bird was huge. Way bigger up close than you see on TV. Its head was a brilliant, snowy white, even though its feathers were soaked and slicked down. It didn’t screech or make a sound. It just watched me, its chest rising and falling with [pa.nic.ked] breaths. I could feel its [te.rr.or], and I could feel its pride. It was a king, [brought] low by a piece of garbage.
I fumbled in my vest for my Leatherman tool. My hands were shaking. “Easy now,” I whispered, not sure if I was talking to the bird or myself. I edged the kayak closer, right up to the log. The eagle shifted, its good wing half-raised in warning. I held up my empty hands first, showing I meant no harm. Then, slowly, I opened the pliers with the wire [cu.tter].
The fishing line was a thick, braided type. It had dug deep into the feathers, cutting into the skin beneath. I reached out, my fingers just inches from that powerful beak. The eagle held perfectly still. It watched my hand, then looked right into my eyes. I swear in that moment, we had an agreement. It knew I was there to help.
I positioned the [cu.tter]. The first strand of line was tough. I squeezed with all my might. Snap. The bird flinched but didn’t strike. I [c.ut] another strand, and another. The tension on its wing loosened. With one final, tough snip, the last piece of line gave way.
The eagle was free. But it didn’t fly away. It was [exh.aus.ted]. It used its beak and talons to haul its heavy, waterlogged body onto the log. It stood there, shaking, water pooling around its feet. For a full minute, it just stood, regaining its strength. Then, it looked at me one last time, a long, steady gaze I will never forget.
With a powerful shrug, it shook the water from its body. It stretched its freed wing, then the other. And then, with a single, massive [do.wnbeat] that sent a spray of water over my kayak, it launched into the sky. It circled once above me, a dark shape against the bright blue.
And watching that great bird climb back into its kingdom of sky, I felt a piece of my own spirit fly right alongside it.
If everyone would just clean up after themselves this wouldn’t be the norm. Please stop [leaving] your plastic and fishing line behind to keep animals safe and our world a much more enjoyable environment.
😭😭😭could not get through your beautiful story without tears. Thank you for your gift of life to this magnificent creature♥️
Now she’s one great Human being!❤️
Blessings for a beautiful deed to save the beautiful bird 🦅
