Earlier this month, two Idaho Power linemen made a high-altitude rescue of a young osprey at Swan Falls Dam.
Robert Scott of Boise and his wife were fishing when they noticed a juvenile bird high up in a nest on top of a power pole. The bird was trying to fly but was stuck on some baling twine inside the nest. Scott said the parents of the bird were shrieking and flying around the nest. He found a maintenance worker from Idaho Power and explained the problem. The worker radioed for help.
Chad Owens and Jeremy Torkelson were dispatched to try and help. The lineman figured out the bird’s talons were caught on the twine and it couldn’t get away. They brought in a truck with a bucket on it and got a lift up to the nest.
Using protective gloves, sleeves and a T-shirt, they started the rescue.
“We wrapped the bird up in a T-shirt and Chad was able to cut its leg free,” Torkelson said. “With Chad’s help, I was able to remove the other [talon from the twine].”
As soon as the bird was free, it took off, flying away from the nest.
“It felt good to see the bird fly away,” Owens said. “It was good to see a successful outcome.”
Before it could come back, Owens and Torkelson removed the twine from the nest so the osprey wouldn’t get caught again.
Fisherman Robert Scott and his wife took video of the rescue. You can watch the whole story from Idaho Power below.
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