Hawk tangled in Topgolf net released after treatment for minor injuries

ORLANDO, Fla. – Topgolf employees were forced to turn away guests while rescue crews worked to free a red-tailed hawk that was entangled in the attraction’s netting.

The rescue began Wednesday morning after employees noticed the bird stuck in the netting before the business was scheduled to open.

With the help of a scissor lift, Orange County Fire Rescue crews and SeaWorld Orlando’s rescue team were able to unhook part of the fencing to free the bird.

Brian Thomas and his wife, Karly Thomas, were inside the restaurant area Wednesday morning for a work outing and saw the rescue. The golfing area was closed during the rescue.

“It was hanging upside down,” Brian Thomas said. “They pulled it down, the bird flapped its wings and everyone gave a round of applause, so I think he’s going to be OK.”

Mike Schaber, a senior member of SeaWorld’s rescue team, said the way the bird became stuck made the rescue a bit more challenging to pull off than a typical bird rescue.

Schaber said it appeared that the hawk flew up and got stuck pretty high up in the corner of two layers of netting.

He said crews were concerned that once they got up high enough to reach it, the bird would become spooked and would fall and hurt itself since it was lying on its back. To prevent that from happening, crews at the bottom held a tarp that would catch the bird if it had fallen.

Fortunately, Schaber said it did not appear that the bird had any obvious fractures or trauma.

“Once we freed the bird and got it out of the entanglement, it was flapping, which is a good sign in birds because their wings usually are the first things that end up getting broken,” Schaber said. Once we got our hands on it up there, it was just scared and tired from hanging but it didn’t look like it was terribly injured."

During a news conference at Topgolf Wednesday, Schaber said the bird was already being transported to SeaWorld, where veterinarians would likely give it fluids, run X-rays if necessary and decide which steps to take next.

If the bird is not healthy enough to be released, Schaber said SeaWorld may work with the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey to get the hawk the rehabilitation it needs.

Some customers who were already inside the restaurant portion of the attraction were given refunds and those who showed up while the rescue was underway were given discounts.

“At Topgolf, we are fully committed to providing a safe environment for the entire community, which includes the local wildlife surrounding our venues. Topgolf Orlando has now resumed normal operating hours and would like to sincerely thank the SeaWorld team and Orange County Fire Rescue crews for their support in safely freeing the hawk,” a spokesperson said.

The director of Operations at Top Golf said employees followed protocol and he’s happy the bird was OK.

SeaWorld rescuers treated the hawk for minor injuries and released the bird Thursday afternoon.