MIAMI (WSVN) - A seabird is relaxing at the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station after two Miami-Dade firefighters came to its rescue at the Miami Marine Stadium, Friday afternoon.
Miami-Dade Firefighter Michael Perez is used to hopping on his boat and racing to the rescue, but his latest call to action was to save something special.
“A cormorant, a common seabird down in South Florida,” he said.
A kayaker called about the cormorant at around 3:30 p.m.
The bird was trapped in the lines of an abandoned boat in the old Miami Marine Stadium, just off of Rickenbacker Causeway.
“The bird was frantically trying free itself, you know. Broke your heart to see it,” said Perez.
Perez and his partner wasted no time in freeing the entangled animal.
Once the feathery friend was brought safely to shore, Perez posed for a photo while holding the bird.
“You just want to help it. You know, it’s not a human, but still it’s an animal,” he said.
Luckily, the bird wasn’t a biter, and they were able to cut the chords quickly.
Perez and his partner aren’t the only South Florida first responders to take a walk on the wild side.
Just a day earlier, a python was spotted in Pembroke Pines.
Police said someone called 911, Thursday, when they saw it slithering towards Chapel Trail from Johnson Street near U.S. 27.
Police were able to take in the 12-and-a-half-foot Burmese Python before it got it a hold on any people and pets in the area.
Of course, police and firefighters have to be ready for anything.
Perez said that when it comes to rescues with special requirements, it’s all about finding common ground, even when he’s out on the water.
“Relatively speaking, it wasn’t insanely difficult,” he said. “Once me and the bird had an understanding — ‘Don’t bite me, and I’ll save your life’ — then it worked out pretty well.”
Officials said about 400 birds are rescued and brought to the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station every year.
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