Injured Pelican Plucked To Safety By Miami-Dade First Responders

MIAMI, FL — First responders swooped in to rescue an injured pelican on Sunday near the Miami arena. Good Samaritans alerted Miami-Dade Fire Rescue after spotting the long-billed waterbird struggling with an apparent injury to its left wing. The rescue took place around 5:30 p.m.

"When the MDFR Fireboat crew arrived, they saw the injured pelican still swimming in the water but with an obvious injury to its left wing," explained Erika Benitez of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. "The crew on the Fireboat attempted several times to come close to the pelican so they can better asses its condition, but the frightened bird continued to move away from them."

Benitez said it took several attempts to pluck the bird out of the water.

"The left wing was broken so the crew carefully held the bird and transported it to the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station for further evaluation and treatment for its injuries," Benitez said.

She said that pelican rescues are all part of the job for Miami-Dade's first responders.

"Miami-Dade Fireboat crews are trained and able to assist with all kinds of emergencies," she added. "The crew feels a great sense of pride to be able to care not only for us humans, but also for the wildlife that makes up an important part of our ecosystem."

Photo courtesy Miami-Dade Fire Rescue