Woman Rescues Stranded Loon Thanks to Grandpa’s Wisdom
Loressa Inez Beatty (Iskwiw) decided to visit a lake in Weyakwin, northern Saskatchewan, Canada, when she came across a curious sight — a loon in the middle of a sandy road, far away from the water. Loressa knew that unlike many other birds, loons struggle to walk, as their legs are positioned too far back on their bodies. They are built for swimming, not walking.
This poor loon was stuck, weak, and thirsty.
Loressa had almost driven by the bird on her way to the lake when she noticed unusual tracks in the sand.
“This is a camping area for the locals,” she wrote on TikTok. “I decided to go for a drive. I wanted to see the lake then I saw these tracks that stumped me, that poor bird was on the sand.”
The lake was in a remote area, and Loressa was far from any wildlife agency or animal rescue to call for help. But then she remembered something her grandfather had taught her.
“My grandpa told me that if you ever see a Loon on land, you’ll need to help them get back to the water,” she said. So that’s what she did.
In a video she shared, a friend of hers is the first to approach the loon. The bird lets out a distinctive cry, almost like its asking for help. Using a blanket, Loressa scoops up the bird and brings it back to the lake. “I hope its okay,” she says as she places the bird down by the water’s edge.
The loon was momentarily dazed but then quickly flapped its wings and swam away, no doubt grateful to be back in the water. “What a relief,” Loressa can be heard saying. She later wrote, “Slight hesitation but then the loon darted into the water happy as can be!”
She’s not sure why the loon ended up hundreds of feet from the water, but she’s grateful she was able to save the bird. “I’m glad I went down that road…Lucky loon,” wrote Loressa.
But perhaps the bird was disoriented by smoke from wildfire that can be seen across the lake in the video.
People were impressed by Loressa’s grandfather’s wisdom and her quick thinking. “I love this and now I will never ever forget that what your Grampa taught you and I’ll pass it on. Thank you for helping that Loon,” wrote one person.
“My granddaughter and I watched this story and she had tears in her eyes when he swam away,” wrote another viewer.
One person wondered why the loon didn’t just fly away. Loressa answered, “They need water to take flight. Like an airplane needs a runway. Same with the Loon, they need about 100 yards of water to take flight. He wasn’t injured he would’ve died if we didn’t find him that day.”
Loressa’s act of kindness shows how even simple lessons passed down through generations can make all the difference in saving a life.
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