That bald eagle was gonna get hers one way or another…
According to FOX 13 Tampa Bay, a Dunedin, Florida man named Chad Rissman was fishing with his uncle Darrin Vick, when they noticed a tug on the line.
Darrin recalled:
“We are just sitting there talking. The line got tight and slack.”
The two then realized that they were reeling in a shark, their first bite after a long day of fishing:
“As the leader is coming up, I said I’d get a hold of the shark.”
As they reeled the shark in, out of nowhere, a bald eagle swooped in, and quickly jumped on the shark.
The family stood there in awe, and they were sure to capture several pictures and videos of the incredibly rare occurrence.
Chad said:
“The way everything lined up, the sunset; I couldn’t have asked for a better time.”
Darrin then agreed:
“It’s just like brushing the greatness of the country all into one picture and one experience.”
Kim Begay of the Clearwater Audubon Society and Audubon Center for Birds of Prey weighed in on the rare occurrence Darrin and Chad experienced:
“I think they did a really great job. It could have been a lot worse.”
She also gave some advice for what to do if you ever accidentally hook a bird:
“If you hook a bird by accident, or the bird has line wrapped around them, don’t cut the line leaving the bird with long amounts of line trailing. You have to reel, remove, and release.
The worst thing that could happen is for the eagle fly away with a hook inside of her and trailing the line with 15 to 20 feet, because when she perches on things, she could end up hanging herself.”
Needless to say, Chad and Darrin got to experience an unforgettable catch of a lifetime.
