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A trapped eagle story is going viral after BC Hydro crews jumped into action to save the bird caught in a live Ladner power line
What started as a standard Monday for BC Hydro trouble technician Bruce Byrnell changed quickly when his Richmond crew received a call that a live eagle was hanging on a power line just east of Boundary Bay Airport.
The crew were on their way to another job, but made the animal rescue a priority, quickly making their way to the aptly named Eagle View Farm.
When they arrived, they saw a young bald eagle with his leg tangled in the line.
The challenge was to turn off the power and release the bald eagle without hurting it.
The crew called in the help of the Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society and started rescue operations.
Byrnell said OWL reps handed him a net and some gloves – and offered a brief warning.
"Whatever you do, just grab his leg – don't reach for the talons, or he'll latch on and not let go. Avoid the beak and talons at all cost."
When Byrnell got to the eagle, he said the trapped bird seemed to slightly relax when it realized he was there to help not hurt.
"He seemed to just calm down when he realized I wasn't a danger, I wasn't a threat. I just went slowly, tried to call him, tell him it's OK, it's OK," said Byrnell.
It was no easy task to get the fatigued bird off the line and into the waiting net.
BC Hydro reports the eagle spent a lot of time flapping around and Byrnell had to wait until the eagle reacted calmly to his approach.
Eventually, the eagle was freed and turned over to the caring hands of OWL, where he remains in recovery.
The eagle was likely up on the power line for up to two hours and sustained some injuries, including a flashburn on its leg. When it first arrived at OWL's facility in Ladner, the eagle could only lay on its belly.
"I phoned down the day after we rescued him, and OWL said the eagle's not doing well. He's not standing on his own," said Byrnell of the initial prognosis after the rescue Jan. 19.
By the following Friday, the bird was standing by itself.
When Byrnell last spoke to OWL, the eagle – given the nickname Flash by the BC Hydro crew – had moved to an outside cage and was hanging out with a mature female.
Flash will remain there until he is ready to be released into the wild.
