Brett Bacon says he was just trying to prove to his son that he’s cool.
The father from Calgary is turning heads online after saving a baby eagle from drowning in the middle of a lake in Windermere, roughly 125 kilometres north of Cranbrook.
The shocking incident happened on July 4, according to a video posted by Bacon on July 4.
The video – which has been viewed 10,000 times as of Friday afternoon – shows Bacon hanging over the side of the boat trying to pull the eagle from the water. After grabbing it, the bird attempts to fly away a few times but appears to be caught on Bacon’s shirt.
Bacon’s infant son is seen lying safely on a seat nearby.
In an interview with the New York Post, the father said he brought the eagle to dry land where it flew away and has since been taken to a wildlife rehabilitation facility.
Black Press Media has reached out to nearby conservation societies for an update on the eagle.
Eagles are known to be fairly good swimmers and have thick down feathers which allow for them to float, according to biologists. However, occasionally juvenile or older eagles can drown if they’re too far from shore or get caught on something.
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