Polish Photographer Crawls Through Thick Mud to Save Eagle

A nature photographer came to the rescue of a white-tailed eagle that became stuck in thick coastal mud near the Polish town of Swinoujscie on July 26, and a drone captured video of the dramatic and dangerous operation.

With the help of local firefighters, and after attempts to retrieve the eagle by other means had failed, Krzysztof Chomicz dragged himself through the sludge to reach the trapped bird while attached to a rope leading to dry land. Despite the distressed eagle attacking Chomicz in the arm and leg, the photographer managed to carry it back to safety.

According to local reports, the eagle spent the night in Swinoujscie being cleaned and cared for by wildlife conservation workers before being transferred to a refuge in Szczecin. Experts were reported as saying they believed the eagle, which was named Icarus, was about six months old and the flight that ended in the mud may have been the eagle’s first.

Chomicz has a history of saving birds in trouble. In summer 2015, he rescued another white-tailed eagle that had also become stuck in mud near Swinoujscie. A striking photo of two eagles taken by Chomicz was featured on the National Geographic website in 2014 Credit: YouTube/iswinoujscie