A Connecticut native now living in Utah rescued a struggling eagle and brought it to safety.
What started as a hike along a Utah ski trail turned into a rescue of one of the country's most majestic creatures.
“We saw a bird just struggling to fly. Within a few seconds of us getting close, we could tell it was a bald eagle, so it was pretty shocking,” said Taylor Schulte, a Connecticut native who spoke to NBC Connecticut via Skype.
He helped to pick up the bald eagle. Schulte and his father-in-law wrapped it in a coat and took it to safety, not knowing what was wrong with the bald eagle.
“You just feel for it," Schulte said. "The bird clearly was injured or sick, something was wrong with it. You could tell it wasn't at 100 percent, so we initially thought, you know, what could be wrong with it? They had a run a story not too long ago, here locally, about the birds getting injured or getting sick."
They took the bird home and waited for wildlife experts to come to collect the eagle and give it the proper care.
“There's no doubt that that bird wouldn't have even had a chance if we weren't there. With the cold temperatures and the predators in the area. If we hadn't been there, that bird, there's no way it would be alive right now. It definitely needed help,” said Schulte.
Schulte says he was happy to give the bird the help it needed.
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“To have an opportunity to save our nation's bird was incredible,” he said.
