Great Blue Heron Rescue Caught on Video in Oakland County

Search and rescue crews across the country often face unusual challenges in their efforts to save lives. However, on Sunday night, the Oakland County Search and Rescue Team received a different kind of report on Lake Louise in Brandon Township.

Distress Call from Lake Louise

Calls came in from residents on Glass Road near the lake with reports of what they thought was a crane in some sort of distress. Deputies responded and search boats were launched.

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They found the bird along the marshy shoreline of Lake Louise and it was in a desperate struggle for survival. In a statement from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, the Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team (SSRT) has grown to a roster of more than 30 members from local agencies including Animal Control, who were also deployed on the rescue mission.

Mistaken Identity: Not a Crane

The Animal Control officials noted that the bird was not a crane, but a great blue heron. Somehow it got tangled in some fishing line and a lure, which ended up wrapped several times around the heron's wing.

According to SSRT Lt. Brian Burwell, 'There is no way the bird was going to get out of there. The fishing line was wrapped multiple times around its wings, and there was no way it was getting loose. I’m sure the bird would have died there.'

A Lifesaving Operation Begins

Luckily, Animal Control Officers Ashley Tester and Aubrie Mausolf made their way through the shallow water to the bird and began cutting away and untangling the fishing line. The bird had only a few ruffled feathers and no notable injuries, and the team was able to release it back into the wild. The video provided by the Sheriff's Office shows the amazing rescue in real time.