Man Dies After Swan Attack (No really...)

WKRC ^ | 4/16/2012 | WKRC

[TSgt]

A Chicago man who neighbors say was devoted to caring for the swans at a Chicago area apartment complex might have paid for that devotion with his life. Anthony Hensley, 37, apparently died this weekend during a freak accident after a swan attack.

Police say Hensley was in a kayak on a pond at the apartment complex checking on swans. Officials said he either got too close to the swans, or their nest, when one of the birds swam towards his kayak, and the kayak flipped over. “His kayak wasn’t upside down, but it was, like, upwards,” eyewitness Daniel Gamanov said “You could see the tip of it.”

Gamanov saw the tragedy unfold right outside his family’s apartment Saturday morning. He and his friends watched as Hensley’s body was pulled from the pond. It was Hensley’ job to care for the swans. “They probably thought that he was going too close to their eggs, and they were too scared, and they just attacked him,” Gamanov said.

He was awakened by a witness pounding on his apartment window, screaming for someone to call police. By the time he looked out, he could see the kayak, but could see no sign of Hensley.

Witnesses said Hensley came up at least once after his kayak tipped in the pond, but by the time police finally pulled him out of the water, more than a half hour had passed. An autopsy Sunday afternoon determined Hensley drowned.

According to his father, Hensley was a good swimmer, but he ended up in the water while fully clothed and wearing boots. To make the situation worse, police said the swans continued to swim at Hensley as he tried to make it to shore.

Hensley leaves behind a wife and two young daughters.

[TSgt]

Swans should be banned.

[Jonty30]

Now that they’ve lost their protector, dinner!

[Hodar]

"Run away!! Run away!!"

[ClearCase_guy]

If Obama had a pet bird, it would look like that swan.

[Wolfie]

A swan song conducted by an actual swan.

[cableguymn]

“but by the time police finally pulled him out of the water, more than a half hour had passed”

When seconds count. the police are only half an hour away!

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Witnesses said Hensley came up at least once after his kayak tipped in the pond, but by the time police finally pulled him out of the water, more than a half hour had passed.

So for half an hour the citizenry was completely and totally helpless?

These are the people who will not survive a week if the SHTF.

[Lazlo in PA]

Swans are big and mean. My neighbor has a pair and they are not something I would want wandering around my yard. They will charge you if they think you are too close plus they poop all over the place.

[samtheman]

Helpless and hapless.

[Keith in Iowa]

>>>Swans should be banned.

Ban is a little to far. Need a Waiting period, mandatory education & safety classes too. And Swan licensing.

[mamelukesabre]

If the guy can’t swim, what the heck is he doing out there without a life jacket? ESPECIALLY IN A KAYAK!?

[Keith in Iowa]

>>>So for half an hour the citizenry was completely and totally helpless?
>>>These are the people who will not survive a week if the SHTF.

I think Darwin called it Natural Selection.

[Oztrich Boy]

http://www.cracked.com/article_15853_the-6-cutest-animals-that-can-still-destroy-you.html

[Jack Hydrazine]

Just grab them by the neck and pull them underwater!

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I suspect it was a cob and not a swan. In the 1920’s a man in Methuen, Massachusetts drown in shallow water after being attacked by a cob defending cygnets. (The man must have acted in a manner that appeared to be threatening to the cob.) Swans are BIG and attack by beating their victims with the elbow joints on their wings. They can inflict serious injury.

My son-in-law was fishing in the Charles River in Natick, when he glanced to his right and noticed a cob standing on tiptoes next to him raising his wings menacingly. My s-i-l got the message and backed away.

[FourPeas]

According to his father, Hensley was a good swimmer,

Swans can be NASTY. Years ago there was a case of swans drowning a jet-ski rider. I'd guess under similar circumstances when he got too close to a nest.

[Jack Hydrazine]

The guy had a kayak paddle, too, which is a good weapon against swans.

[the invisib1e hand]

Swans can be pretty intimidating. But nothing is as scawey as a wabbit.

[stylin19a]

SHTF ? Swans hit the fan ?

[Cicero]

We had a family of swans at a nearby lake where we lived in Connecticut. They were mean as hell, and you’d have to be nuts to go near where they nested, out on a tiny rocky island.

That said, why wasn’t this guy wearing a life preserver? And why did his neighbors just stand there watching for half an hour, without doing anything?

[dfwgator]

“I *warned* you, but did you listen to me? Oh, no, you *knew*, didn’t you? Oh, it’s just a harmless little *swan*, isn’t it?”

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

He could swim, but he didn't think it through. Wearing boots is the worst thing to do in a situation like that because they are hard to take off and they prevent you from slipping off your pants as well. When you are unexpectedly in the water, footwear then heavy pants (he was likely wearing jeans) are the first things to get rid of as you can then maneuver much easier.

[Made In The USA]

I was at Walmart and noticed companies such as Remington and Winchester also make good products to repel Swans. I purchased some and store them next to another Remington product I own, ironically called ‘The Wingmaster’.

[Gator113]

In Chicago , even the swans are killers.

I raise geese, ducks and chickens for fun and for when TSHTF. I presently have 60 birds.

I have two goose moms sitting on their eggs, an African Brown (known as a swan goose), and a Toulouse. The eggs are due to hatch within the next week... this will add another 25 birds to the crew. There goes the feed bill. LOL

My birds know me and are not likely to attack me, but the geese and ducks are VERY protective during breeding season and when they on their eggs. They are more than willing to fight to the death to protect their own.

It seems this poor fellow should have worn a life vest.... for $30 he would still be alive.

[Darren McCarty]

The first part of Wild Animals is the word Wild. Harsh lesson to be paid, but I’m really not that surprised. Swans are more aggressive than geese, and being goosed is called “goosed” for a reason. Swans are known to go after boaters and jet-skiers, and I would not want a giant bird to go after me.

[onedoug]

I’d bet this is why Forest Lawn Glendale took out their swan/duck pond. Vicious swans.

[Jack Burton007]

Those damn Amish swans like Treyswan.

[READINABLUESTATE]

Don’t know about Swans, but I was attacked by a Canadian goose when I was 6 years old while standing in chest deep water. That Goose would have eaten my lunch if it hadn’t been for Mom. Did you know Geese have teeth?

[Darren McCarty]

I chased off their "small" cousins, the Canadian Geese from my dad's lawn when I watched their place. I grabbed my old hockey stick from back in the day and was the most demonstrative I could be in showing aggressiveness. It looked ridiculous to see a 30-something with a hockey stick flailing away running after them, but it worked. Those birds understood what "get out of here I'm dominate" means and fled without attacking or hissing. They didn't come back.

I would not want to go near a swan nest. That would be a nasty fight or flight.

[Red Badger]

I guess he did a Swan Dive............

[goat granny]

Yep, they have nasty dispositions....but like a charging goose, stand your ground and when they are almost on you, grab them by the neck just behind the head, when they are lifted up off the ground, you can throw them far enough away to not get bitten...nasty beaks if like a goose, serated like a steak knife....they attack just like a goose, run at you flapping their wings.

[A. Patriot]

Obviously, one of those rare and unforseen "black swan events".

[MrB]

Here's Treyswan without his hoodie:

[Zeppo]

“His kayak wasn’t upside down, but it was, like, upwards,” eyewitness Daniel Gamanov said “You could see the tip of it.”

Daniel is not, like, the most articulate witness imaginable, is he...

[andy58-in-nh]

Talk about your “black swan” events....

[Jack Burton007]

Swimming in his Arizona Tea pool diving for skittle fish.

[OB1kNOb]

Well, I’ll swan.......

[wolfcreek]

We’ve been attacked by swans/ducks on several occasions while trying to launch or trailer our boats.

I’m thinking Thanksgiving for the homeless.

[Owl558]

“I chased off...Canadian Geese from my dad’s lawn when I watched their place.”

Dang foreign geese. I bet they were illegals. There’s probably some weird sports irony in using a hockey stick to scare off Canadians too.

[Lazlo in PA]

Funny article. Thanks for the link.

[Fire_on_High]

Sorry, but that’s the point where you kill the damn things. Don’t care how big and how mean...if someone’s going to die, critter’s going down asap.

[mdmathis6]

He experienced his own personal “black swan event”!

[tet68]

He swooned when the swans thought him a swain?
That sucks, he should have swum er swam oh heck.

Hmmmm, swan liver pate, now that would be exotic.

[golf lover]

Swan dive?

[Revolting cat!]

He should of swung as the swan swam!

[Revolting cat!]

Did the victim have time to sing a swan song before submerging?

[Jonty30]

Goose ghetto.

[Ditto]

Don’t know about Swans, but I was attacked by a Canadian goose when I was 6 years old while standing in chest deep water. That Goose would have eaten my lunch if it hadn’t been for Mom. Did you know Geese have teeth?

Yes... or at least it seems like it. I had my grandson at a pond feeding ducks when a goose came along and went after my grandson. I just got between them and got bit in the ass. No blood, but it hurt.

A swan is a lot bigger than a goose. If it were really a fight to the death on land, I'd beat the swan no doubt. But in the water, I'm not so sure. They are nasty critters.

[Kickass Conservative]

Was it a White Hispanic Swan or a Black Hispanic Swan?

If it was a White Hispanic Swan, Obama will be right on it.

[a fool in paradise]

A swan dive off a tall building will kill you.