A juvenile bald eagle died after being trapped overnight in a cell phone tower’s wires, 140 feet above the ground, in Manatee County, FL. The tower stood several hundred yards from the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, according to WFLA-TV.
According to witnesses, the young eagle, part of a local bald eagle family, became ensnared in the tower’s wires on Tuesday and remained stuck for hours, unable to move or break free. A nearby car shop owner, who regularly saw the eagle family, noticed the youngest bird frantically struggling for its life.
“It looks like his leg is stuck between some wires,” explained Jonathan Hande, a volunteer with Save Our Seabirds. “He’s got a weird V angle, so he’s not able to get back up. We’re hoping it’s a really easy fix.”
For several hours, community members attempted to find help. Tim Thurman, also with Save Our Seabirds, said, “I got the first call around 1:45 p.m. This has been going on for almost six hours, and we’re just now getting through.”
Eventually, rescuers managed to pull the young eagle down from the tower. Despite suffering a leg injury, there was initial hope for recovery. However, it was later reported on Wednesday that the eagle succumbed to the trauma and died, WFLA-TV reported.
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