VENICE, Fla. — Cell phone video shows a surfer coming to the rescue of a pigeon frantically flapping its wings in rough waves.
"It looked like it just got hit by a wave and couldn't get back out," said Nicole Fulwiler.
Fulwiler lives in Venice and watched the surfer rescue the bird. She was on Venice Beach with her children on Sunday and took cell phone video of the rescue.
Subtropical storm Alberto caused rough waves. The surfer reached the bird, but it got knocked off his surfboard.
"We didn't think it was going to be a good outcome for the bird," said Fulwiler.
The surfer tried again. He was unwilling to go back to shore without a bird on board.
"The bird fell off maybe one more time, but he kept scooping him back up," said Fulwiler.
Nichole shouted, "You're that bird's hero!"
She doesn't know the surfer who rescued the pigeon, but said he taught her children a lesson.
"How often do we see somebody go out of their way for pigeon?" she said.
"You know there's so many of them, but to that pigeon it mattered," she added.
"Look for kindness in the world," she said.
"There are people who will go out of their way for a lowly pigeon," said Fulwiler.
Sarasota County officials urge swimmers to be cautious. There is a high risk for rip currents on Memorial Day.
