19 January 2024
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Wichita firefighters braved the cold and a possible dip in a frozen pond to rescue a swan Friday morning.
Residents near 21st and Amidon called the Wichita Fire Department because they were worried that Patsy, the neighborhood swan, had been out on the pond for a couple of days. They were afraid she was unable to move.
The WFD rescue team moved into action. Two of the rescuers carefully walked the WFD boat onto the ice. Other rescuers stayed at the shore to hold the boat’s rope.
Patsy was about 200 yards from shore. When the firefighters approached her, she began to flap her wings and moved a little farther away. Her feet and body were not frozen in the ice, but she had difficulty moving.
The firefighters threw a blanket over Patsy to keep her calm, picked her up and carried her back to the boat.
One rescuer held her in the boat while the rest of the team pulled them safely back to shore.
Patsy was unharmed. After the rescue, the bystanders pampered her with popcorn and peanuts.