“Owl Elevator” to the Rescue

One lucky bird got a personal elevator ride to safety after getting trapped in a chimney. Fairfield Fire Department in Fairfield, Connecticut, came to a local owl’s rescue with an impromptu rescue solution. Having been discovered by the homeowner, a large owl was found stuck above the damper, the mechanism that controls the airflow in the chimney. Accessing the unique predicament, the Fairfield Fire Department found that the bird was too large to spread its wings to fly out or to be extracted through opening the damper, so the department constructed a creative elevator rescue system they termed the “owl elevator.”

Firefighters attached a personal flotation device to a rope and lowered the rescue device down the chimney, acting as the elevator shaft. Once the owl was sitting on the flotation device, the crew slowly raised the “owl elevator” to bring the distressed bird to safety. Thankful for the helpful ride and assessed for any medical needs, the owl flew off to take a much-needed rest in a nearby tree.