Kayaker hailed for rescuing sandhill crane in McHenry County
McHENRY, Ill. (CBS) -- A McHenry County man is being called an MVP, after he stepped in and helped rescue a sandhill crane in distress over the weekend.
As CBS 2's Shardaa Gray reported, the crane was stuck in fishing line at the McHenry Dam. At the same time on Sunday, Tristen Crowley was taking advantage of the sun and the springlike temperatures as he grabbed his kayak and hit the water.
"As I started kayaking towards the islands, all the birds had scatter away, except the one – the crane - sandhill crane, I believe," Crowley said.
Crowley said he paddled up to the bird quickly, and noticed its leg was caught in fishing line.
"I had toenail clippers to cut line," he said, "and then I cut the line off it, and then it had flown away."
As soon he got back to shore, people were singing his praises.
"Everybody was telling me good job. You know, a bunch of people on the shore here were like, 'Good job!' I was thumbs-upping them," Crowley said. "I just kept trying to fish. I didn't catch anything, but that was my good deed for the day."
That good deed was caught on camera. A wildlife photographer, David Jacobson, snapped these pictures of Crowley in the moment.
This was not the first time Crowley saved a crane.
"I have saved one crane before on my lake - I live in Island Lake - and the one I saved - it was actually hooked on the wing," he said. "I had like to cover it with a blanket."
Crowley says he hopes others will step in and help an animal in distress too.