Man dives into river to rescue bald eagle

Thursday, August 25, 2005
The Associated Press

INDEPENDENCE, Ore. — Risking serious injury, a man dived into the Willamette River to save a drowning bald eagle now recovering at a rehabilitation center.

Wilson Jimna, 28, said he learned about eagles watching the Discovery Channel. "I jumped into the water because I know eagles are endangered species," he said.

The bird had been sitting motionless atop a rock along the shore near where Jimna was walking. The startled bird tried to fly away but instead flopped into the river, indicating that something was wrong with its wings.

Jimna dived in and grabbed the eagle from behind. He placed the injured bird in the back of his trunk and headed for the Oregon Humane Society. The agency sent him to the Salem Wildlife Rehabilitation Association, where Reva Lux rolled her eyes when she heard someone was bringing in an eagle.

People typically mistake hawks for the larger eagles, said Lux, a wildlife rehabilitator who was on call Tuesday.

But when Jimna arrived and opened the trunk, Lux said: "Oh, that is one big eagle."

An X-ray showed no broken bones but the wing had some soft-tissue damage. Why the bird was unable to fly is a mystery. Some of the primary flight wings were broken.

The eagle has been transferred to the Chintimini Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Corvallis where it will receive long-term care.

"That guy, he was heroic," said Lux. "Not many people would jump into the river and save an eagle."

But state biologists warned it is dangerous to handle injured wildlife.

Severe infections can result from talon wounds "because the pieces of the last prey are there still," said Will High, an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist.

"They don´t wash their talons and those small pieces of rotting meat on their talons can have a lot of bacteria," High said.

[link to seattletimes.nwsource.com]