Tiny Bald Eaglet Swallows Fishhook on Camera, Leading to Emergency Surgery
Thousands of people were watching when it happened. A two-week-old bald eaglet, known as USS11, was being fed by its parent at a nest near U.S. Steel’s Irvin Plant in Pennsylvania — and the tiny bird swallowed a fishing hook, line and lure delivered accidentally during mealtime.
The moment was captured on the U.S. Steel eagle nest livestream, a webcam that has drawn a devoted following of nature lovers tracking the raptor family. What followed was a frantic, multi-agency rescue effort to save the eaglet’s life.
‘You Want to Help In Any Way You Can’
Don German, a retired manager at U.S. Steel who has become deeply attached to the nest’s residents, described the gut punch of watching it unfold.
“Your heart drops, right? They become your babies, and whenever you see your own child get injured, you want to help in any way you can,” German told CBS News.
Watchers quickly contacted Tamarack Wildlife Center, which assessed the situation and recommended removing the eaglet for “medical evaluation and treatment.” In a Facebook post, the center explained why intervention was necessary despite the usual hands-off approach with wild nests.
“It is usually advisable to avoid interfering with nests, but ingestion of the hook and fishing line posed a risk of death to the young eaglet,” the post shared.
A Weekend Rescue Against the Clock
Getting to the eaglet wasn’t simple. The rescue required approvals from federal agencies, state agencies and the landowner — all on a weekend. Carol Holmgren of Tamarack Wildlife Center marveled at the speed of the coordination.
“To get all of those permissions in the course of an hour on a weekend was just stunning,” Holmgren told CBS News.
By approximately 3:30 p.m. Saturday — the same day as the incident — a crew from Northwood Tree Care had climbed to the nest and extracted the eaglet. German described the improvised but careful transport down from the nest.
“We ended up putting it into almost like a tool bag and zippered it up, then got it to the ground, carried it up the embankment, and got it into the vehicle,” he said.
Surgery Deep in the Digestive Tract
The eaglet was transported to Morgantown, West Virginia, where avian veterinary specialist Dr. Jesse Fallon of the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia performed emergency surgery less than 12 hours after the ingestion.
X-rays revealed the hook had moved “deep into the digestive tract,” according to Tamarack’s Facebook post, requiring surgical removal rather than a less invasive approach.
The center acknowledged the gravity of operating on such a young bird. “Surgery is risky in a patient this young, but initial indicators are promising,” Tamarack Wildlife Center shared, adding that “the most dangerous first hurdle has been cleared.”
What Comes Next for USS11
Recovery projections offer reason for cautious optimism. Tamarack said the eaglet could possibly return to its nest within about one week and is expected to be accepted back by its parents.
U.S. Steel released a statement reflecting the emotional investment the community has built around the webcam family.
“The bald eagles nesting near our Irvin Plant are an important part of U. S. Steel—symbols of pride for our employees and the focus of a growing community of nature lovers that follow the family via webcam,” the company said. “We’re deeply concerned about the health of USS11 and are grateful to Tamarack Wildlife Center for acting quickly to ensure USS11 received necessary treatment.”
The company added: “We will share updates on USS11 as we are able.”
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
