Man Risks Life For Bird, Then Needs Saving

A Coast Guard Helicopter Rescued Will Hart, Who Was Stuck In A Tree With His Cockatoo

(CBS)  Will Hart loves his pet cockatoo Geronimo enough to risk life and limb. So when the bird escaped from its cage Tuesday, he went after it all the way up a tree, 75 feet above the ground.

"I raised him since he was 6 weeks old," Hart, accompanied by 6-year-old Geronimo, told The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm. "I ... hand fed him, as you would a child, every three hours. He just is, like, a part of my family, as one of my kids … I mean, he's priceless to me. I'd do anything for him."

Hart, of Porter, Texas, chased Geronimo around the yard for a couple hours until the bird finally settled in a tree. Hart thought he could bring the bird down and shimmied up two different trees — he jumped from a smaller tree onto the larger and finally managed to grab his bird. But with Geronimo in one hand, Hart, was unable to make it back down safely.

Relatives called the local fire department, but their ladder was not long enough. Then the Houston Fire Department brought in their helicopter, but the rope was too short. Eventually the Coast Guard was called.

"I realized I just got in a bad situation," Hart said. "I could possibility come back down, but not with him in my arms. I just didn't want to let him go. Like I said, he was like one of my kids."

Petty officer Chuck Medema, the Coast Guard Rescuer responsible for Hart's rescue, had never been involved in a tree rescue before and had certainly never seen anything quite like this.

"Well, basically, we just got a report and we went out and we searched and we seen him in the tree on a branch," he said. "We just tried to come down next to him, like about 10 feet off the tree or so, and work our way into the tree so we could actually get to him. And then we just tried to hook our rescue equipment around him and pick him up off the tree branch."

All the activity scared Geronimo. Hart said the bird is protective of him and tried to bite Medema. Hart tried to cover the beak but then Geronimo bit him — all the more reason for Hart to be grateful to Medema.

"I just thank him for jeopardizing his life," he said. "I mean, just thank him. I mean, it's been a dreadful night if I had to stay up there all night."

Hart's son plans on enlisting in the U.S. Coast Guard.

[extremophil]

There's more than one birdbrain in this story.

[theeggman369]

Where were their brains? It should have been fairly easy to get the man a bag and a string. Put the bird carefully in the bag and lower it down. With hands free, climb down. I surely hope this idiot is going to be charged for the costs of the rescue services......

[zootallures2]

I good news, no? Usually in US and A, when man get caught with his cockatoo he go to jail.

[auroras_007]

Being a tax payer its nice to hear that the money I pay helped out with a happy ending.....instead of the usually walfare abuse, war financeing, and other such dis-pleasures I'm forced to pay.

[cantshutup]

i can't believe this inbred re **** climbed a huge tree to get a stupid BIRD!!!!!!!!! someone should tell him how fN stupid this story is! lmao!

hey mister! birds have wings which enable them to fly up to the tip tops of trees...humans do not have wings and cannot climb to the tip top of trees...and the fkn rescue cost taxpayer money that would have been better spent on a real tragedy other than the likes of you!!!!!!!!!!

[ljburwell]

Dear Cantshutup-

I am a mental health professional. After reading your post, I think you may have some issues that need to be addressed. Please seek professional help as soon as possible. And I hope you have a good support system around you, such as family and friends. I'm hoping for the best for you. Take care.