The hero surfers and the survivor flamingo.

Surfers Rescued a Drowning Flamingo Stuck Outside The Break

People love to go to the beach especially during summer. But not only humans, even the animals enjoy the water.

Birds like seagulls and pelicans are daily visitors of the beach. These animals get their food from the ocean and shore.  But not every day is a good day for everyone. Just like this poor flamingo who nearly drown but thanks to a surfer hero, it was saved!

The flamingo’s rescuers.

One day, Franco Guicciardi who works as a surf instructor at a beach in Italy was gazing out at the ocean when he noticed some sort of animal drowning in the water. He quickly recognized that it was a flamingo. Guicciardi felt sad for the poor bird and immediately knew he had to help, so he and his friend grabbed their surfboards and paddled out into the ocean. 

Upon reaching the poor fella, they knew that there was no way that the flamingo could make it back to shore on his own. So, they pulled him onto their board and began to paddle back to dry land.

The flamingo sat quietly on the surfboard.

The flamingo catching his breath sat on the front of the surfboard spreading out his wings as his rescuers paddled.

“The animal was exhausted due to strong sea currents and wind,” Guicciardi wrote on an Instagram post about the rescue. 

And as soon as they reached the beach, Guicciardi contacted the local forest patrol, who put him in touch with the Clinica Veterinaria San Giuseppe. A vet then instructed him to place the flamingo inside a bucket with damp clothes or towels in order to keep him safe while he was being transported to the clinic.

Witnesses help gather clothes for the flamingo.

A group of people who have witnessed the rescue helped and gathered towels to place over the flamingo.

Once he was cozy and secure, Guicciardi rushed the flamingo to the clinic. After checking him over, the vet assured Guicciardi that in a matter of days the flamingo would be completely healed and back out in the wild again. 

After two days of treatment, Guicciardi was informed that the bird is healed and can fly again once again.

After two days of treatment, the flamingo can fly again.

Thanks to Guicciardi and all the kind people on the beach that day, the flamingo is now healthy, happy and back in the wild where he belongs.

“A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.”

- Charley Harper