In early October 2016, people up and down the Southeast Coast of the United States battened down the hatches and fled inland as Hurricane Matthew stormed in from the Caribbean.
The catastrophic hurricane swept up the coast, making landfall just once, but leaving destruction and chaos in its wake.
From the devastation, however, emerged countless stories of incredible communities up and down the eastern seaboard, joining together in a time of trial to help each other out.
And these towns throughout Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas weren’t just focused on helping their human residents find footing in the aftermath of the storm; they were also doing everything they could for their wild inhabitants.
Just days before the storm hit Florida, an eagle was blown off course and rescued in Clearwater, Florida.
On October 8, as the storm was trailing away from Florida, police officers made a similar but even more startling discovery in Clay County, FL, just a few miles inward from Jacksonville, where the brunt of the storm’s impact was felt.
They found another bald eagle who had accidentally landed in a truly baffling pickle.
Read on below to learn more.
Officers from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office were stunned Saturday to receive an unusual call from a citizen in the community.
According to the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, “A citizen had a bald eagle fly in front of his vehicle and the bird became lodged in the grill of the vehicle.”
The bird, possibly disoriented, injured, or blown off course during the storm, accidentally swooped right in front of the driver’s windshield.
Other reports of the unusual 911 call note that the man driving the car wasn’t initially aware of his passenger.
Another driver, identified by the Huffington Post as a woman named Billi West, passed the car coming from the opposite direction, and noticed the bird’s head moving.
She turned around and followed the other car, signaling him to pull over to the side of the road, where they were able to get in contact with the authorities.
When police arrived, they found the results of what CNN called, “the oddest call to 911 operators,” in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Fire Rescue crews arrived on the scene and discovered, just as described on the phone, a large bald eagle stuck in the grille of the car, and didn't look too pleased to be there.
Working together, the first responders were able to safely cut through the grille of the car and retrieve the trapped bird.
It’s not clear whether the eagle somehow flew in front of the car while it was in motion and got entangled in the chassis, or if he decided to take cover under the vehicle in the storm and got trapped inside.
All that officers know for sure is that this incredible bird miraculously survived both a massive hurricane and a brush with vehicular tragedy, and with just a few minor injuries to show for it.
Somehow, the bird sustained a few scrapes and is no doubt in shock, but managed to avoid any more serious injuries.
Cynthia Mosling, a bird rehabilitator who runs the nearby B.E.A.K.S Wildlife Sanctuary was able to step up and take in the weary eagle.
Mosling says the eagle is an adult male, and estimates that he’s around 7 years old.
She has named him Matthew, after the storm that tested this eagle’s impressive survival skills to the fullest.
Matthew is not the only bald eagle to require a roadside rescue this past week.
Another eagle in Clearwater, FL, ended up trapped in the middle of the road after breaking a bone and finding herself unable to fly.
In that situation, rescuers were able to get her to a rehab facility at Busch Gardens to heal — while rocking a very patriotic sling! — and eventually be reintroduced into the wild.
According to Mosling, Matthew is “standing up and alert,” and appears to be in good health.
She’ll treat him and offer him a safe harbor, releasing him back into the wild as soon as his health allows.
Just twenty years ago, bald eagles were on the brink of extinction, so it’s really wonderful to see how people work together to make sure that our beautiful national bird continues to flourish, even in truly unsettling circumstances.
If you’re impressed with the many brave people who worked together to save Matthew’s life, make sure to SHARE this beautiful story with friends and family!
