Two Hudson Valley EMTs were headed back from a hospital run when they spotted something unexpected on the roadside near Newburgh: an injured bald eagle, believed to have been struck by a vehicle. Jessica Foster and Christopher Mancuso, both EMTs with the Wallkill Volunteer Ambulance Corps, pulled over to help the bird rather than drive past it.
According to NewYorkUpstate.com, Foster and Mancuso worked with the Town of Newburgh Police Department to safely secure the eagle and arrange transportation. As reported by Daily Voice, the pair were returning from the hospital when they first noticed the injured bird.
The eagle was transported to Newburgh Veterinary Hospital for treatment, per the ambulance corps, and the Wallkill Volunteer Ambulance Corps thanked Alex Bennett and the veterinary team there for stepping in to provide care. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation was also contacted to assist with the situation, according to the ambulance corps, though what role the agency ultimately played has not been detailed.
Duty Never Skipped a Beat
Despite the detour, the ambulance corps reported that no emergency calls went unanswered while Foster and Mancuso tended to the eagle. The same account notes that the department praised the pair for taking action to help the injured bird while making sure their regular emergency duties were not disrupted.
Jeff Ashdown, president of the Ulster County EMS Council, recognized Foster and Mancuso for handling a patient well outside their usual scope. “The crew showed initiative, resourcefulness, and cooperation,” Ashdown said, according to the Upstate report. Foster also serves as EMS captain of the Plattekill Fire Department, while Mancuso is a former chief of that same department, per Mid Hudson News.
Not the First Eagle Rescue in the Area
Birds of prey turning up injured near roadways and waterways isn't unheard of in the region. Years earlier, a New York State DEC officer responded to a report of a bald eagle that was lethargic and unable to fly near Old Balmville Road in the Town of Newburgh, as detailed by Mid Hudson News. That officer, Kevin Wamsley, transported the bird to the FFF Wildlife Center in the Greene County town of Hunter for evaluation and potential rehabilitation, the outlet reported, noting Wamsley had also rescued a Great Horned Owl in 2021.
Farther downstate, NYPD Harbor Unit officers made a similar save earlier this year, rescuing an injured bald eagle spotted on a chunk of ice in the Hudson River near the George Washington Bridge, according to The New York Times. That bird was taken to a sanctuary in New Jersey, the paper reported. Whether the Newburgh eagle recovered, and what further care it may have received, remains unknown based on available reporting.
