A rower in the UK was out enjoying a boat ride in Whitby Harbor when, suddenly, he heard something. It was a warning call from people ashore.
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A bit taken back by the yelling, and understandably a little anxious, Marc Wilson slowed to see what the problem was. He discovered that a cormorant was trapped near the bottom of a nearby pier, and it was struggling inside a tangled fishing line.
Seeing the animal in distress was more than enough for Marc to spring into action.
“I pulled up my boat alongside it and picked it out of the water and into my boat,” Marc told The Dodo.
The bird was calm as Marc gently tried to free the animal. An onlooker aided him by throwing down a pair of scissors and a glove to put over the bird’s face to keep them calm.
With the much needed supplies, Marc was able to gently unravel the fishing line and even removed a hook from the cormorant’s foot. What a rescue!
Free at last, the happy bird flew away. We’re sure they were grateful for all of the help they received.
“Everyone cheered as the bird flew off straight away,” Marc said.
We’re cheering over here, too!
The Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary was also grateful for Marc’s attention to the animal. The organization had gotten a call about the trapped bird previously, but when they responded the bird was already gone. They thanked Marc for his efforts in a Facebook post.
Marc, who is an active rower with the Whitby Coastal Rowing Club, said he was glad he was in the water that day and able to save the bird. He admits that he didn’t think the animal would survive the entanglement. But the bird was strong and resilient.
“It was marvelous to watch it fly away, and I hope to see it again many more times this winter as I’m rowing,” Marc said. “Hopefully in better circumstances!”
We hope these new friends see each other again on the water. Be sure to share this story to celebrate this sweet rescue.
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