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GRAFTON, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Bill Johnston of Upton was hunting in Westborough with his $20,000 falcon, Fiona, last week, when she got two miles off course chasing a duck.
Johnston located her using GPS, but fell through an icy pond in Cedar Swamp while trying to get her.
He told WBZ NewsRadio's Shari Small he was amazed at rescue crews' quick response.
"I went in up to my armpits, hypothermia set in, and it was remarkable how fast the Westborough Fire Department responded," Johnston said. "I looked at my iPhone and it said one percent—that one percent was spent on 911!"
He was taken out on a gurney in a rescue operation that took about two hours, and is now feeling much better.
Two days later, Westborough Firefighter Mark Boyer, who assisted in Johnston's rescue, used GPS to locate and recover Fiona—volunteering his off-duty time to find the bird.
Fiona was taken to Tufts Wildlife Clinic in Grafton, where she's undergoing much-needed medical treatment.
"She has sustained a head injury," Johnston said. "We don't think that she can see out of either eye."
Veterinarians believe she was likely attacked by a hawk. She is expected to recover, but has likely lost her vision.
WBZ NewsRadio's Shari Small (@ShariSmallNews) reports
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