Swan rescued by kayak released back into the wild

A pub landlord used his kayak to help save a male swan from a near-fatal injury.

Sussex Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service (SVFRS) said its specialist rescue team was called to the swan, trapped in fishing wire with "a very large lure" between his beak and wing, in Langstone Harbour, Hampshire, on Saturday.

"The swan could have easily lost his life and his family of cygnets and mate lost their family member due to the carelessness of people fishing in the area," SVFRS said.

After a night at a wildlife hospital the swan was "happily released back to his family" on Sunday.

The initial plan was to deploy the SVFRS rowing boat, but it said that would have taken too long to arrive from the rescuers' base in Ford, West Sussex, and the swan "was in trouble and bleeding heavily".

Adam Szczypior, landlord at The Royal Oak, then used his kayak to help.

Szczypior said he was familiar with the swan and its mate and their four cygnets, and that it "could eat off my hand".

He said an intervention had been needed and his kayak was smaller and easier to manoeuvre.

"I saw the female swan try to help take the hook off," he added.

One of the pub's regular customers brought a landing net to cover the swan's head during the rescue.

SVFRS said the swan had been caught thanks to Szczypior and the bosun of Langstone Cutters Rowing Club.

The crew took the bird to South Downs Emergency Vets and after receiving pain relief it was taken to Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital.

On Sunday the swan was released, the rescue posted on its Facebook page saying: "It was an absolute pleasure to watch his family greet him upon his return."

On the day of the swan rescue, SVFRS also helped a fox cub trapped between a shed and a wall in Portsmouth.

The self-funding group and its 18 volunteer firefighters provide a year-round service.

It said it received "over 100 call outs per month and half of those are technical animal rescues".