Eagle saved from atop 120-foot tall radio tower lightning rod

December 12, 2022

MacClenny Fire and Rescue Department/Facebook

(MACCLENNY, Fla.) — First responders rescued an eagle impaled by a lightning rod atop a 120 -foot radio tower at St. George Elementary in MacClenny, Florida.

Fire department crews responded to a call Friday about the eagle stuck on top of the tower and contacted wildlife authorities from the scene. It was determined that someone would need to go to the top of the tower to help the eagle, MacClenny Fire and Rescue Department said in a post on Facebook.

Engineer Louis Castle and Lt. Garret Williams loaded up into a 100-foot tall tower and headed toward the elementary school, according to the fire department.

Crews gained access to the area by cutting a fence then went up 100-feet in the tower, the department said in a statement on Facebook.

Castle then exited the bucket of the fire department’s ladder and hooked himself onto the tower, using safety equipment, and climbed the remaining 20-feet, according to the department.

The eagle was found in “obvious distress,” according to the department.

Once he was at the top, Castle was able to free the bird of its impalement. It then soared down and was captured by wildlife rescuers.

As of Saturday afternoon, the fire department did not have an update on the eagle’s health status.