RICHMOND, VA (WTVR/CNN) - Firefighters and animal control workers rescued a swan trapped in a frozen lake for hours Monday.
The swan was stranded in Stony Point Lake for at least 10 hours in the frigid conditions, authorities said.
Scott Curnow, a resident of the neighborhood, knew something was wrong when he went out to feed the bird he considers family.
"I was like 'whoa' she was locked around ice,” Curnow said. “She was frozen in ice. She couldn't move."
The swan is considered a fixture in the neighborhood, according to residents.
Inch by inch, the firefighters with the Richmond Fire Department's water rescue team, broke the ice and within minutes, the bird was guided safely to shore.
"I can't say I have ever rescued a swan from the middle of a pond," said Capt. Mark Wagner of the fire department.
Curnow was relieved to see the bird freed.
"It hurt to see her stuck out there but she's all right," Curnow said in tears.
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