Electric Serviceman rescues owl in Biloxi

Friday, Oct. 2, started out like a typical workday for Ian Woodworth.

The Biloxi electric serviceman began the day by repairing an underground cable in Ocean Springs for a residential customer.

And then his phone rang. “It was (Senior Engineering Analyst) Billy Davis,” said Woodworth. “He asked me to get to Bayview Ave. in Biloxi as soon as I could.”

When Woodworth arrived, he met Missy Dubuisson from Wild at Heart Rescue. She was on the scene preparing to help an animal in distress.

“An owl had flown into some fishing wire that was hanging off an AT&T line just east of Boomtown Casino,” Woodworth said. “The City of Biloxi moved a barricade so I could position my bucket truck underneath the owl to try and rescue it.”

Dubuisson gave Woodworth a pair of gloves used to handle wild birds and a cage.

“I was able to cut the fishing line, and some hooks off of the owl and get it into the cage,” Woodworth said. “Once it was in the cage, I looked down at it and it had calmed down. I think it realized it wasn’t in any danger. It was definitely an interesting morning!”

In a video posted on Wild at Heart’s Facebook page, Dubuisson provides narration of Woodworth’s work, saying, “That’s what you talk about going the extra mile.”

After Woodworth safely brought the owl down, he returned to the line and removed the remaining fishing line to help prevent a similar incident in the future.

“This bird would have perished right where she was entangled if it wasn’t for our relationship with Mississippi Power,” Dubuisson said. “It was not their line, but Ian moved without hesitation to save the owl.”

Dubuisson named the rescued owl Ian, after Woodworth. She said the avian Ian is still recovering. She’s eating well, but it’s still too soon to try flying just yet.

This isn’t the first time the company and Wild at Heart have worked together to help an injured bird. Six years ago, an eagle flew into a distribution line in Biloxi. After nine months of rehab at Wild at Heart, the eagle was released back into the wild.

Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and environmentally responsible energy for nearly 190,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. With nearly 160 megawatts of approved solar energy capacity, Mississippi Power is the largest partner in providing renewable energy in the state of Mississippi. Visit our website at mississippipower.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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