Killer Swan Drowns Man..Talk About Bizarre

It is a freak occurrence, but I can see how this could happen. It's sort of like what happened to the croc guy Steve. Everybody thought that a croc would get him one day, but it was not a croc but a little sting ray. So be careful out there when at work or play.

It's actually not that freakish. Swans attack when they feel threatened. It happened to me while I was canoeing. The swan unexpectedly flew out of the water and knocked me right out of the canoe, and then immediately attacked me.

I was gulping water and flailing about completely disoriented before I knew what had happened. I was able to get my wits and start fighting it, but it was way too fast, especially since I was treading water. So I dove underwater, but it dove right under with me and put my ankle in a vice grip and held me under long enough to scare me. I was finally able to shake loose, come up for a gasp of air, and swing the canoe between myself and the swan. It came around the canoe, but it gave me just enough time to grab my paddle and literally split it upside its g-damn head.

The whole fight lasted about 2-3 minutes. By that time, my overturned canoe was half submerged and I had to swim ashore. I was totally exhausted, and I'm fit and a strong swimmer. I definitely see how someone can drown. Very sad.

Dont forget these B@stard birds tried to kill 155 people when they suicide attacked Sully Sullenberger's plane.

I will back up the C&O canal dude as I have been harassed by those insane geese many times. I think they hang out between mile 2 and 3. They are not so easy to avoid as there are usually a dozen or more of them sprawled all across the trail, sometimes with baby geese.

Last time I lived in the DC area I was starting at the chain bridge and running north of there...no geese up that way.

I used to run around the intramural field at University of Washington, full of packs of Canadian geese. They never bothered us. Not sure why the ones in DC are more nasty...

They truly are horrid creatures -- brute beasts.

Two pages and nobody's speculating on what the swan can run for 800m?

The bird was driven to a homicidal rage by the growth emanating from the man's chin. Death By Waterfowl seems a harsh sentence but it is not for us to judge God's Plan.

Evolution.

asdjklasjd wrote:

I used to run around the intramural field at University of Washington, full of packs of Canadian geese. They never bothered us. Not sure why the ones in DC are more nasty...

Maybe because they're there all the time.

The Canadian Geese are intermittent visitors.

Swans mate for life, while geese are promiscuous. Makes the big white guys surly as #&^%

asdjklasjd wrote:

I used to run around the intramural field at University of Washington, full of packs of Canadian geese. They never bothered us. Not sure why the ones in DC are more nasty...

A good swimmer would not be drowned by a swan. Animals can be ferocious but most people panic and don't fight animals effectively. I am basing this judgement just on watching some people around mice, snakes, bees, aggressive dogs, and any flying bug that lands on them.

Canadian geese can be aggressive but honestly I've had one start to charge me, I spun around, faced it with fists ready. It backed off. Now I just make a fist if they seem aggressive and they have never charged.

Granted Swan's are bigger and even more aggressive. In deep water I would just swim away fast because they would be hard to effectively hurt if they attacked. On land it would be different.

I've never taken care of anyone attacked by a swan, but I have had 3 patients who have lost eyes after being attacked by roosters. Sounds funny but actually not too funny.

I could see this guy fully clothed and in very cold water, with a very rapid and unexpected blow right in his face or eye, weighed down by jacket and clothes, disoriented, unable to get back in the boat. Muscle spasm sets in pretty soon. For all we know, he may have escaped the goose and drowned trying to get back to shore.

sf wrote:

I've never taken care of anyone attacked by a swan, but I have had 3 patients who have lost eyes after being attacked by roosters. Sounds funny but actually not too funny.

That's not funny at all.

doctors are idiots wrote:

That's not funny at all.

I agree that it isn't funny, but you probably wouldn't believe the number of people over the years that I have met who seem to think that an attack by a little animal like a rooster is amusing - believe me, they strike hard and fast and usually very unexpectedly.

I had to take out a crazy swan on the golf coarse. I used a Taylor Made LT 3 iron. My clubhead speed is 105 mph. I think the swans head went 35 yards.

Can you imagine how embarrassed the family feels right now? You never imagine the protector of the family to be killed by a measly bird. The dude even had paddles to fight the swans away with!

From the comments in the yahoo article: All I keep thinking of is the rabbit scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

"Look at the bones!"

The appropriate way to deal with a rabid swan is to quickly remove one of your socks and pull it over the bird's head. They run around all pissed off for hours, but since they can't find you, you can safely escape.

"A memorial fund has been established in Hensley's name, who was a married father of two."

No way, Jose. He should have owned life insurance.