Longmont Public Safety responded to a report on May 3 about a red-tailed hawk that had become entangled in fishing line near McIntosh Lake. According to a post made by LPS, a passerby had “noticed the bird trapped in the lower branches of a tree” and reported it to the Longmont Emergency Communication Center.
Longmont Fire Department firefighter Nicholas Olalla was able to free the hawk after about 10 minutes of effort. According to Longmont’s public information officer, Rogelio Mares, Olalla “put on his bunker gear and a mask from his SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) to provide face protection. The firefighter cut the fishing line attached to the tree freeing the bird. Once detached from the tree, the firefighters removed the fishing line from the bird's foot, and determined it was not in distress, nor sustained any injuries.”
LPS, in its Facebook post, reminded residents to properly dispose of fishing lines, hooks, and other gear to avoid incidents like this with wildlife. “Use designated bins or take them home to throw in a trash receptacle,” the department said.
The hawk was released after being freed from the tree and was not taken to a rehab center, Mares said.
