A couple on Harpswell’s Long Island, Maine, rescued two bald eagles that crashed into each other and plummeted into a nearby river.
Lynne Thompson and Scott Crockett were sitting on their deck, less than 100 feet from the New Meadows River, when they witnessed the event occur, News Center Maine reported Tuesday. (RELATED: ‘Amazing’: Bald Eagles In Arizona Found Doing Something For First Time In Decades)
Couple rescues entangled bald eagles after ‘death spiral’ into river https://t.co/WPTZpOyZFl
— 9NEWS Denver (@9NEWS) September 14, 2022
The couple watched the birds fly before they suddenly locked together and spiraled downwards into the water, causing a loud splash, according to News Center Maine. There was no movement after the birds crashed, which raised concerns for the couple.
The couple noticed the bald eagles were not moving and appeared to be stunned when they approached the birds in their skiff, according to the outlet. Crockett reportedly gave one of the eagles a nudge, which caused them to let go of each other.
Thompson said one of the eagles made it back to shore and flew to a tree close by, while the other moved slower, eventually making it back to shore as well, the outlet noted.
“I don’t know what the final outcome would have been if we didn’t show up,” Crockett said, according to the outlet. “I don’t know if they would’ve drowned or not. Their heads were pretty close to the water, but they’re probably pretty buoyant. I don’t know.”
Crockett and Thompson were not only ones who got to witness the event, as there was an additional eagle circling around the two birds in the water as if it was curious about what had happened, News Center Maine reported. There were a couple of seals swimming near the eagles as well.
Crystal Slusher of the American Eagle Foundation suggested territorial fighting or “courtship” could explain interactions between two eagles that result in them becoming tangled in mid-air, according to NPR.