What began as a calm day on the water in Clarksville, Virginia, quickly turned into a life-or-death mission for a group of friends out boating.
Jessica Salmons and her companions were cruising the lake when something unusual caught their attention — far from the shoreline, a large bird was floundering, barely able to stay afloat.
It was an osprey, a powerful bird of prey, but this one was exhausted and waterlogged, unable to make it back to land on her own.
“We saw it in the middle of the lake trying to swim to shore,” Salmons later wrote. Unsure what to do, they quickly called their local wildlife authority. But time was running out.
That’s when Gavin, one of the boaters, made a split-second decision: he dove straight into the water to help.
Here’s video of that dramatic rescue:
At first, the osprey resisted his approach, instinctively fearful. But Gavin stayed patient, guiding her carefully toward land.
After several tense minutes, he finally managed to bring her safely to shore, where another Good Samaritan stepped in to help, as seen in part 2 of the rescue:
Though ospreys are skilled hunters who sometimes dive into water to catch fish, this one had been trapped too long. Her soaked feathers made flying impossible, leaving her in danger of drowning.
The rescue video ends just as the osprey reaches safety — but Salmons later confirmed that the bird was OK. After some time drying her wings, she was able to recover from her terrifying ordeal.
The boaters hadn’t planned on becoming heroes that day, but their quick thinking and courage made all the difference. Thanks to them, a wild life was saved.
