(WESH, NBC NEWSCHANNEL) A bald eagle rescued by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper was released back into the wild Friday, and the man who made it all possible was on hand to watch.
Last month, the eagle was stunned and sitting on the turnpike shoulder in Osceola Countyafter bouncing off a windshield at highway speed. Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Julio Velez scooped him up and placed him safely inside his cruiser.
Remarkably, the eagle didn't have any broken bones and once it got over the internal issues of bouncing off of a windshield, it was time for its release into the area where it was hit.
Due to recent rotator cuff surgery, Velez was unable to release the eagle himself, but he did take off the hood that keeps the eagle calm, while a fellow trooper sent the eagle on its flight to freedom.
