Man drowns in pond being attacked by Swans!!!

[abobwhat]

Check out this news story... Are swans really this crazy?

An Illinois man drowned in a pond at an apartment complex early Saturday after he was apparently attacked by some swans he cared for, authorities said.
Anthony Hensley, 37, worked for a company that used swans and dogs to keep geese from destroying the grounds at the Bay Colony Drive condos in Des Plaines, The Chicago Sun-Times reported.
The married father of two was in a kayak checking on the swans early Saturday when one of the large birds came after him, causing the craft to tip over, witnesses and authorities said.
As Hensley tried to make it to shore, the swan — and maybe others — continued to circle him and may have attacked him or blocked his path.
"They probably thought that he was going too close to their eggs, and they were too scared, and they just attacked him," witness Daniel Gamanov told CBS Chicago


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/illinois-man-drowns-pond-freak-encounter-swans-article-1.1062266#ixzz1sDXqzLSK​

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...-pond-freak-encounter-swans-article-1.1062266

 

[chicmom]

Wow, that is tragic! Poor young father.......

 

[Bunnylady]

Swans can be very aggressive when defending their nests. In the water, a man would be "smaller" than they were, so yes, I can see it happening. Tragic, indeed.

 

[EweSheep]

Tragic!

 

[Symphony]

RIP.

 

[Adenium]

When I lived in England I knew a woman who was training for a triathlon at a large lake. That was her one fear - swans had been known to sometimes drown children. I always thought it was somewhat unlikely for an adult....but if you think about being in waterlogged clothes and having to swim a distance with a heavy bird biting you and beating you with its wings it's certainly possible. We humans aren't at our best in water.

 

[redhen]

So sad. The man must not have been a very good swimmer or something..
He also probably didn't want to harm the swans...so grabbing one and breaking its neck or something probably never even crossed his mind.

 

[abobwhat]

I thought swans were supposed to be peacful and calm birds... and geese were the crazy mean ones...

 

[dewey]

I thought swans were supposed to be peacful and calm birds... and geese were the crazy mean ones...

Swans can be dangerous. I've heard of them pulling large dogs into water to drown them.

That poor guy and his grieving family.

I'm thinking that maybe the water temp & muscle cramps could have contributed, plus it'd be difficult fighting to just survive under the "best" of conditions after inhaling water, no less also trying to fight something off at that same time.

 

[MrsSerfesME]

That is so tragic, that poor man and his family.

Swans are aggressive, that's why a lot of places have them to keep the geese away.