Earlier this month, Captain Tom Mattmuller of Sea Tow Venice in Florida was patrolling the calm waters of Lyons Bay when something strange caught his attention.
Up ahead, high in the mangroves, a dark shape swayed in the breeze. As Mattmuller steered his boat closer, he realized it wasn’t debris — it was a bird, and it was in serious trouble.
“I noticed a cormorant flapping its wings, hanging from a limb in the mangroves,” Mattmuller told The Dodo. “I could see fishing line tangled around its beak and the branch.”
The bird was trapped, its desperate movements growing weaker by the minute. Mattmuller knew he couldn’t reach the bird on his own, so he quickly radioed for help.
Before long, Venice Police Marine Officer Woodworth and Sarasota County Deputy Sheriff Watson arrived on the scene. Working together, the team carefully maneuvered Mattmuller’s boat beneath the tangled cormorant.
Using a long boat hook, they gently pulled the branch down and freed the frightened bird from the fishing line.
Once safely on board, the cormorant was handed over to a volunteer from a local wildlife rescue for a full checkup. To everyone’s relief, the resilient bird wasn’t seriously injured.
“The bird is perfectly fine and expected to make a full recovery,” Mattmuller said.
For Mattmuller, who typically spends his days towing stranded boats, this rescue was a special reminder of why he loves his work on the water.
“All of us at Sea Tow Venice grew up with a deep appreciation for our local marine wildlife,” he said. “We’re lucky to witness its beauty every day, and when we come across animals in distress, we take pride in helping them get the care they need.”
Thanks to one captain’s sharp eye — and a team of responders who refused to look away — a life that might have been lost is now free to soar once again.
