As a kayaker paddled down the serene South River in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, he caught sight of something unexpected peering at him from the reeds.
He never anticipated it would be this kind of encounter.
A Surprising Discovery
That same day, local bird rescuer Donna Cole received a report about a bald eagle that had been struck by a vehicle on a nearby highway.
Thankfully, a Maryland police officer was first on the scene, arriving in time to redirect traffic and keep the bird safe as it made its way toward the river for shelter.
By the time Donna reached the area, she realized the eagle had disappeared into a dense and nearly inaccessible part of the shoreline.
“It was a deeply wooded area with a lot of bramble, sticky bushes that made it impossible to get the eagle and then bring it back,” Donna told The Dodo.
Knowing that a land rescue would be impossible, Donna quickly concluded that the only way to reach the bird was from the water.
An Unlikely Partnership
She reached out to John Flood, a board member of the Arundel Rivers Federation. Luckily, John had a boat—and a big heart.
“John was pretty much immediately up for this adventure,” Donna said.
As they cruised down the South River, the two quickly spotted the eagle again. But before they could approach, the bird vanished once more, slipping into the thick cover along the riverbank.
Under the blazing sun, Donna and John searched tirelessly but came up empty. Eventually, they had to call it quits—at least for the day.
Just as Donna returned home to prepare for another attempt, she received a timely call from Owl Moon Raptor Center: a kayaker had just seen the eagle across the river.
“It was like two miracles — that the police officer was able to find the eagle the first time, and that the kayaker was able to find the bird the second,” she recalled.
The Final Push
Determined to bring the eagle to safety, Donna and John launched another rescue mission, this time even more focused.
“John and I were both like, ‘Okay, we’ve got to do this’. We’ve come this far. We’ve got to get this bird the help it needs,” Donna said.
They located the kayaker who had stayed near the eagle’s location. John maneuvered the boat through the shallows while Donna prepared herself to leap into action.
Wading into two feet of thick mud, Donna moved quickly—and successfully caught the injured eagle, even though she lost a shoe in the process.
With the eagle safely on board, they rushed to deliver him to the Owl Moon Raptor Center for urgent care and rehabilitation.
Donna expressed deep gratitude for everyone involved in the rescue, knowing full well how rare and difficult such missions can be.
“This was the longest, the most impossible rescue I’ve ever done. It was such a relief to finally get this bird,” she said with emotion.