Firefighters Rescue Injured Seagull Stranded On Ice In LI Bay

ISLIP, NY — Long Island firefighters rescued an injured seagull stranded on ice in the Great South Bay on Thursday, Islip Fire Department officials told Patch.

Firefighters said they received a report that the seagull was stuck on the ice off of Islip Town Beach after "numerous good Samaritans" and animal rescuers tried "for many hours" to retrieve her from the frozen bay.

According to Humane Long Island, an animal advocacy organization, they received a call from someone who said a couple had released the bird at the beach before telling her they had "rehabbed" the seagull's broken wing for the past four days.

Upon arrival, the fire department quickly deployed its Surface Ice Rescue Team to assist.

"Once on the scene, we were advised by animal rescuers that the bird had a broken wing and they provided us with a net to help capture it," officials told Patch. "We deployed two surface ice rescue technicians who were able to get out to the bird, which was approximately 100 feet from shore."

Firefighters said they captured the female seagull with the net and "safely returned it to shore" where HLI representatives waited for her with plans to take her to the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center in Hampton Bays the next morning.

According to the organization, "gulls are protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and it is illegal to keep them for any reason, absent state and federal permits."

"Always leave wildlife rehabilitation to the professionals," HLI said in a statement.