Hawk rescued by father and son off-duty cops

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. (NEWS10) -- Two off-duty law enforcement officers with the Massachusetts State Police, who happen to be father and son, helped save an ailing hawk they came across in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, on Thursday, December 14. Father Gary Ruef and son Ryan Ruef came across the red-tailed hawk while driving west on Route 102.

According to Massachusetts State Police, the duo suspected the hawk had flown into a car a short time before. The hawk struggled to maintain balance and was rolling around in the travel lane at the time.

Both blocked the lane and approached the bird. The bird quickly flew into the woods and crashed into several trees. Ryan Ruef followed the hawk, removed his jacket, and carefully threw it over the bird like a net.

The hawk was taken carefully to the State Police-Westfield Barracks and was transferred to a rehabilitator. The hawk is expected to make a full recovery and will be released in the spring of 2024.