NYPD Rescues Injured Bald Eagle from Hudson Ice Floe

New York Police Department Harbor Unit officers rescued an injured bald eagle from a drifting ice floe in the Hudson River on Tuesday morning, capturing the dramatic effort on body camera footage that highlighted their quick response to the distressed national symbol.

The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. near the George Washington Bridge, where the officers were patrolling to monitor ice flow in the frigid waterway. While scanning the area with binoculars, they heard the bird's cries and spotted it perched on a shrinking chunk of ice, unable to fly due to apparent injuries. "We used our binoculars, and we realized that it was a bird. As we got closer, we realized it was an American eagle, and at that point, we had to kind of figure out what we were going to do," Officer Michael Russo recalled.

The team, including Pilot Patrick Memi and Sgt. Mike Amello, maneuvered their jet boat with precision to avoid startling the eagle or displacing water that could knock it into the river. Memi described easing the vessel slowly, noting the bird's struggle to stay upright. Upon reaching the ice, the officers observed blood on the eagle's claws and a mark above its right eye, along with...