Man trying to rescue bird saved from pond

From the Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Man trying to rescue bird saved from pond
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

WAUCONDA – Bruce Brown was used to fetching his pet cockatiel, Happy, out of the retention pond near his Wauconda home.

But Thursday afternoon, Brown had a harder time than usual getting back to shore when Happy flew into the pond just east of Routes 12 and 176.

“I started going down; I couldn’t stay afloat,” said Brown, 60. “The weight of my clothes is what almost killed me.”

Island Lake resident Shawn Prate was fishing with his 7-year-old son at the pond when they saw Brown struggling, so he called 911.

Prate thought it was too dangerous to follow him into the pond, which is about 200 feet in diameter, so he used his fishing rod to hook Brown and reel him in.

“He was going underwater, and he wasn’t coming up as often as he should have,” said Prate, 39. “The pole was there, and so I just did what I could.”

Prate, whose father owns the property that Brown lives on, managed to snag Brown’s sweat shirt and reel him in close to the shore. Then he climbed into the pond and held Brown’s head above the water until paramedics arrived.

“We have rescues that happen, but this is a pretty incredible story,” said Tomm Smithe, Wauconda Fire Department public education coordinator.

When authorities arrived, Brown was taken to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington. Outside his Harmony Village home Friday, Brown said he was treated for hypothermia and was on antibiotics for pneumonia. He was released from the hospital late Thursday.

His beloved pet, Happy, did not survive the ordeal.

“I’m not sure if the bird drowned or died when I was squeezing him,” Brown said.

Happy was Brown’s pet for at least three years, he said. He was an Australian bird with gray feathers and a yellow head. The bird’s wings were clipped, but he still was able to fly about 50 yards.

Brown said he wasn’t sure whether he would replace Happy.

“I’m definitely sad about the bird,” he said. “I’m feeling very lousy right now.”