Worcester residents rescue swans trapped at Salisbury Pond

WORCESTER, Mass. – Some Worcester residents took matters into their own hands Thursday when they dropped into a spillway at Salisbury Pond in Institute Park to rescue swans that appeared to be trapped for multiple days.

The rescuers used a ladder rope and a large recycling bins to bring the swans to safety. A crew from the Animal Rescue League of Boston had been scheduled to remove the birds, according to the City of Worcester, but the residents got there first.

“I’m from Worcester, and when somebody needs help, we make sure it happens,” said Jonathan Booker, who helped with the rescue effort. “We put our mindset together and we just do what we gotta do to make it happen. That’s what we do here in Worcester, we don’t need Boston to come down and help us.”

Booker also rescued a swan from the same spillway at Salisbury Pond in 2021.

Watch parts of the rescue effort in the video above.