Seagull rescued after getting trapped in fishing wire in Crawley

West Sussex Fire's technical rescue unit (TRU) was called to the lake at Lea Close, in Gossops Green, shortly before 1pm on Friday (January 15).

They were alerted by officers from the RSPCA after members of the public spotted the stricken bird handing from the top of a tree. The seagull was hanging by its wings overlooking the lake.

The seagull was rescued and fortunately suffered no lasting damage, the fire service said.

TRU Watch Manager Mick Lewin said: “When we arrived we could see the gull was visibly distressed – it was hanging by its wing having got caught up in some fishing wire at the top of this tree that must have been 20, 25ft high.

“With the help of a local tree surgeon who had small boat on the lake we were able to get right underneath the tree and used an extendable pole with a cutting mechanism on the end to free the gull and bring it safely down to the ground.

“We were then able to hand it over to the RSPCA for a check-over, and fortunately there was no lasting damage.

“We train for rescues from height regularly, and would always urge members of the public to give us a call if they spot an animal or person in distress, rather than putting themselves at risk.”