KITTSON COUNTY, Minnesota (WDAY) — A church trip took an unexpected turn for Cindy Vagle on Sunday, Oct. 19, when a bald eagle became an unlikely co-pilot.
Vagle was driving along U.S. Highway 59 from Lancaster to Lake Bronson when she spotted the bird in the opposite lane. A few miles later, she discovered the eagle clinging to the grille of her pickup.
“Here the dang bird is hanging on the front of the truck still alive,” Vagle said.
About an hour earlier, Vagle had slowed down when the eagle flew across the road. She heard a thump but didn’t see the bird until she reached town. She carefully avoided disturbing it.
“Very beautiful, but just hanging there moving its head side to side just looking at me. I was like ‘Ohh … I better not get too close to that thing because it had quite the beak,” Vagle said.
The eagle’s feet were caught in the grille. About an hour later, an officer with the Department of Natural Resources arrived and rescued the bird, releasing it back into the wild. Vagle said the officer confirmed the eagle was not hurt.
“I wish I knew what was going through that bird’s mind, that must have been quite the experience for it,” Vagle said.
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