The cygnet is now reunited with their parents again

11:20, 19 Jun 2026Updated 16:15, 19 Jun 2026

The distressed swan was tangled in fishing line

A baby swan tangled in discarded fishing line has been reunited with its parents – after a rescue mission that had locals fearing the worst.

The alarm was raised when a woman in Dunmanway spotted the distressed cygnet struggling in the water yesterday and unable to get free. She could see the youngster was caught on something but there was no way he could escape on his own.

Enter the heroes of the hour.

Wildlife Rescue Cork volunteers Yasmin and Aga grabbed their kayaks and headed straight for the stranded bird. After carefully reaching the cygnet, they discovered the culprit – fishing line.

Thankfully, the little fella hadn’t been injured despite the ordeal.

The volunteers managed to free the cygnet, then brought him back to safety and reunited him with his waiting parents.

Sharing the story online, Wildlife Rescue Cork said it was a heartbreaking reminder of the dangers rubbish left in waterways can pose. Ireland’s big angling clubs and associations do issue regular appeals to people to remember to clear away any waste or broken lines and tackle and this incident underlines the importance of doing that.

“Wouldn’t you know it, it was fishing line,” the rescue group wrote.

The volunteers also took the opportunity to remove as much of the discarded line from the water as they could, hoping to prevent another animal from ending up in the same situation.

The fishing line the swan was tangled in

Locals who know the swan family say they’ll be keeping a close eye on the cygnet over the coming days, but all signs point to a happy ending.

It’s the kind of story that could easily have ended in tragedy. Instead, thanks to a sharp-eyed local and two determined volunteers willing to paddle out and help, a frightened young swan is back where he belongs.

The little family happily eating away this morning after Wildlife Rescue Cork came to their aid yesterday

Julie Cronin, founder and chairperson of Wildlife Rescue Cork said: “We recieve thousands of emails for help each year from members of the public who come accross injured or orphaned wildlife. Our volunteer rescue and transport team are a small but mighty group who dedicate the their time, night and day to step in to save wildlife. We would be lost without our volunteers.

“Unfortunately our own actions can negatively impact those around us. Littering being a cause of many animal intakes for us. Whether its birds caught in disregarded fishing line, birds caught with fishing hooks embedded into their necks, face or feathers, garden birds with string tightly wrapped around their legs, or hedgehogs with embedded wire wrapped around their bodies from the garden. Our actions and how we dispose of rubbish can kill wildlife.

“I absolutely understand the peace and tranquility that fishermen and women take from being out in nature, siting riverside and enjoying it, but leaving behind the fishing line when it becomes a hazard to those just trying to survive is very sad. Please do make every effort to untangle and take away this line and weights at the end of the fishing day.

“At the end of the day wildlife and humans, we are all just doing our best to survive and hopefully thrive. The publics support is the only way we can continue our vital work, saving babies such as this little cygnet yesterday.”

Wildlife Rescue Cork are a registered charity but entirely dependent on donations and volunteers – if you think you can help them in their work, they’ll be happy to hear from you.