Online group hopes for rescue of loon stuck on icy northern Minnesota lake
Drone video shows "Gilligan" the stuck loon (Michael Johnson / Supplied)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A loon stuck on an icy lake in northern Minnesota has captivated people across the world hoping for a rescue.
The duck, nicknamed "Gilligan", has been circling an unfrozen circle of open water in the middle of the lake for more than two weeks. Exactly why it can't fly away is unknown. But, because of the ice, rescue attempts are risky and already one attempt has been unsuccessful. But thousands are now watching online and hoping.
Moving to a lake near Nevis, Minnesota seven years ago, Debbie Center freely admits she became "Loony for Loons."
"That hauntingly beautiful call, it’s just, just amazing," she said.
Center began painting them, recording music about them, and keeping tabs on the population on her lake. Then, on November 25, she discovered there was still one left in about a 20-foot-wide patch of open water.
"I knew that was not good, the loons need all the runway of open water in order to gain flight," she said.
Documenting the loon, on her "Loony for Loons" Facebook page has attracted attention and followers from around the world. Her friend, Mike Johnson, used his drone to get a better look at how much space he has.
"I’m getting a lot of flak, honestly, from would-be rescuers all over the world, who are saying things like, 'Just go get him!'" explained Center. "'How can you stand by and watch and let this poor loon die, just go get him!' And man, it’s not that simple."
On December 8, Nevis Fire and Rescue did try to get him using a raft and a thousand feet of safety rope and a few Muskie nets.
"They tried very hard to scoop up Gilligan," recalled Center. "Gilligan was not having it. He was diving just constantly and he would come up just for a split second to grab a gulp of air and then go back underneath."
Gilligan has proved just as adept at avoiding the bald eagles that have taken an interest, diving out of harm's way but still unable to fly out of the lake.
"Likely there’s something really wrong that has prevented him from flying out on his own," concluded Center.