Tangled And Trapped: Osprey Saved By Local Firefighters In Sands Point Rescue: PWFD

SANDS POINT, NY — High above Sands Point, an osprey in distress got the rescue of its life last week after firefighters freed the protected bird from fishing line tangled in a tree.

Port Washington Fire Department Ex-Chief of 12 years and current Fire Prevention Officer Brian Waterson told Patch the details of the successful rescue.

The bird was reported to be tangled in fishing line high up in a tree in the village of Sands Point on April 8, Waterson said. The homeowner was unable to contact any wildlife groups that day, but finally spoke with a wildlife rescuer the following day, who advised the homeowner to call the fire department for a ladder truck to reach the osprey.

At approximately 11:30 a.m. on April 9, members of the Atlantic Hook & Ladder Co. 1 were dispatched for the animal rescue before the wildlife rescuer arrived on scene, the PWFD said. The FD determined the proper position of the truck and angle of approach, Waterson said.

With three members aboard, the ladder inched closer to the trapped osprey. Once they reached the bird, firefighters carefully trimmed away surrounding branches before using a chainsaw to remove part of the tree, Waterson said.

"Finally, the osprey and a section of the tree were lowered," he said, adding that the fishing line was cut from the bird's feet.

Bobby Horvath, a NYS-licensed wildlife rescuer and rehabilitator with an organization called Wildlife In Need Of Rescue & Rehabilitation, was on scene, Waterson said.

He took the osprey to be treated, and once it fully recovers, it will then be released back into the wild, Waterson said.

Ospreys were on the brink of extinction back in the early 1970s due to the use of dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane, or DDT, which was used as a pesticide, the Group for the East End said. The use of this pesticide caused unsuccessful breeding attempts and devastation of the species across the world. DDT has since been banned, but the effects last for many years.

The osprey species was listed as 'endangered' in NY in 1976 and has since been downgraded to 'threatened' in 1983 and then 'special concern' in 1999, the Group said. Although they aren't technically 'endangered' any longer, the Group and other organizations have been working to ensure the survival of their species.

The osprey is a protected bird species under the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said. "No person may take (kill), possess, import, export, transport, sell, purchase, barter, or offer for sale, any migratory bird, or the parts, nests, or eggs of such bird except as may be permitted under the terms of a valid permit."

Assistant Chief Patrick Saccoccia was the incident commander for the rescue, and Waterson supported the operation by investigating and gathering information for documentation and reporting. There were multiple members on scene to ensure the safety of the osprey and those around it.

Although the PWFD responded to the call, Waterson clarified that the FD does not typically rescue 'cats in trees,' but they have performed several animal rescues in the past.

"This one was unusual because birds are always in trees," he said. "But the homeowner noticed there was an issue, and being that it was a protected bird, the FD took action."

With the help of firefighters and a wildlife rescuer, the osprey is now on the path to recovery — and one step closer to soaring the skies.