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Subscribe to RSSA 37-year-old father of two drowned Saturday in the pond at a Des Plaines, Ill., area apartment complex following an altercation with a swan, local reports say.
Anthony Hensley, who worked for a company that uses swans and dogs to keep geese away, was in a kayak as he checked on the community's swans. When one of the swans swam toward him, the kayak flipped over and he fell out, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
“His kayak wasn’t upside down, but it was, like, upwards,” witness Daniel Gamanov told CBS Chicago. “You could see the tip of it.”
Police said at least one of the swans kept moving toward Hensley as he tried to swim to shore.
“They probably thought that he was going too close to their eggs, and they were too scared, and they just attacked him,” Gamanov said.
Hensley's father, Raymond Hensley, told the TV station his son was a good swimmer, but that he was fully clothed and wearing boots when he fell in the water. The autopsy confirmed Hensley drowned.
Hensley's daughters were not immediately told their father hadn't made it back from work, the TV station reported.
“They’re too young. They just know their father is not here, and they don’t know why," Raymond Hensley told the station. "It’s tragic for him to have to spend the last few moments like that. That’s always my worst fear, drowning."
Hensley liked working with animals, his father-in-law George Koutsogiannis told the Sun-Times. “Maybe he didn’t fight back enough when the swan attacked him. Maybe he didn’t want to hurt the animal. I can’t understand how this was possible,” Koutsogiannis said.
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Humans in general underestimate birds alltogether. How many "funny" videos have we seen on America's Funniest Videos where someone messed with a swan, goose or chicken only to run away screaming? Our family used to have chickens as pets and while they were never aggressive with any people, as the roosters grew into adults they started trying to fight with our dogs.
The poor man probably couldn't get his feet out of the kayak right away. By the time he did, he was probably already choking on some water. That, combined with the boots and the swan was just too much.
At least he doesn't have to live with the humiliation of being killed by a,,,, swan?..seriously?
Swans are aggressiveand powerful birds. I'd rather tangle with a Condor, an Eagle, or anything short of an Ostrich than a Swan. Seriously.
Im sorry guy, but that is just ridiculous
If you go on the water, always wear a life vest. If you get attacked by Swans or geese on the water, you are in their domain. If you have no other options, grab them around the neck, close to their head and you can then control them until you get to land where you can fight back more effectively until you get to your car or shelter.
The object is to control them and not to kill them, but if all else fails, survival is survival...
I raised chickens in North Carolina and the Rooster was one mean cus. The Rooster and hens killed more then a few rattle snakes. They would swarm it and then peck it to death. I never knew they were capable of that. It was a big surprise.
An utterly needless tragedy that orphaned his children. As with most accidental drownings involving a boat, he wasn't wearing a life jacket. A Personal Floatation Device would have had him home in time for dinner. As a canoeist of decades experience, I urge everyone to wear a PFD anytime they climb in or on a boat of any kind.
He was a good Guy Dosnt' really matter wheather a swan attacked him or if the water was cold,He would have helped anyone if they nedded it 37 is too young My condolances to linda,little ray,and Big Ray
Scott - Did you know him? Sounds like you might have. So sorry for the families loss :(
“They probably thought that he was going too close to their eggs, and they were too scared, and they just attacked him,” Gamanov said. Ya suuuure, wild animals always kill humans out of fear. Fear of humans is what keeps wild animals from attacking people, it is NOT the emotion they attack from. Swans are always in a dark pissed off mood, approach them lightly at yer own peril. Also if you are forced to fight one if you can grab its neck just below its head and try to avoid its feet at same time, if you have to you can kill it one handed so long as you have a solid grip on its neck.
I don't buy that the swan killed him. I'm sure it was due to the weight of his clothes and boots and oh by the way the swan was pecking at him. I hate when they write up these stories and try to slant it into a violent murderous swan attack.
This is just incredibly stupid. I have owned a dozen black and white swans over the years; and have been in the ponds with them when they are aggressive or not. Swans do not attack lethally. Mr Hensley obviously could not swim or something else happened like maybe he was in street clothes and a jacket (you try to swim in that). One way or another he was not prepared properly. Don't even think about blaming a swan. I feel bad for the family's loss, but a swan does not have the ability to kill or be the sole cause of a drowning.
B G. Learn how to read. I have BEEN THERE-DONE THAT. I did not say they could not draw blood, I said they have no teeth. And I described how it feels to touch the inside of their beak, Have You ? They are wild animals they do not think, they just react. I am quite sure the young man did not harass them it was an accident, he loved wild life and probably knew more about Swans than both of us put together. I am quite sure you saw the young girl bleed; young skin, like old skin tears easily. I know about old I am 80, buy the way, Swans do not need teeth to consume their diet and we are too big and too tough to be on their menu. None of this really addresses the article involved which I consider poor reporting, due to a lack of facts.
Gordon A. C. Lewis-2139444 - Do some more research instead of just feeling up a birds beak and then come back. Goodbye.
He most likely had a heart attack and drowned. I doubt very seriously a swan could inflict fatal injuries, in or out of the water especially when someone is fighting back.
Both swan and geese can be very nasty. These are vicious fowl. Better to avoid them.
I'm sickened to hear how so many can use
the tragedy that left a father of two beautiful little girls and an adoring
wife dead as the butt of tasteless jokes and self-righteous criticism. It takes a disturbing and disgusting amount of
detachment from ones consciousness and fellow man to feel it’s appropriate to
post such ignorant and shameful remarks at the expense of this man. It is sad
that Tony didn’t use a floatation device, believe me, everyone who loves him is
paying for that choice and with his honest and strong character I'm sure he
would have understood other perspectives concerning his choice in not using one
but, it is obviously not him who has to listen to your criticism and cruel
remarks, it is the family and friends left behind whose wounds you are so
generously pouring salt into. I sincerely hope none of you ever find yourselves
in a situation where when you’re reflecting through grief on the wonderful
person your friend was and what the future now holds for those left behind that
you are not slapped in this face by coming across comments such as these. But
then again.........I find it hard to believe that a person capable of such
remarks will be missed.
Plain tragedy, but a kayak is not a terribly stable boat - small, nice and maneuverable, but if it gets upset, you better be REALLY good to right it, or else have your life jacket and bail out. Then try to get it bailed out and back in it - all the while the da** bird is trying to peck your eyes out.. And for the fools who are saying they will not attack, will not hurt a human, go mess around with some especially if they have just hatched a batch, and then come back and tell us about it.
well hold on! I gotta get some stuffing and cranberry sauce first.
"Illinois man drowns in pond following swan attack"
Add this to the list of phrases I never thought I'd hear. What a goofy way to have to go.
I wish his daughters the best.
We must find that swan and terminate it now that it has acquired a taste for human flesh.
Heck of a deal. living where there is alot of duck/goose hunting I've heard many a story like this. I can only tell you going out on the water in a canoe, duck-boat,or kayak with waders, hip boots etc is asking for big trouble if you go in the water. Granting a life-vest would have prevented this from happening all-together You wouldn't even think an apartment type (probably man-made) pond would be that deep. Could be a big law suit over the lack of a life-vest. Heck of a deal.
ARREST the owner of the complex for murder!!! It was his deadly pond, which harbored the terrorist swan, after all! And in 2 states over a 15 year old boy is being charged with 9 counts of murder because the van he was driving was in a fatal crash. LIKE HE MEANT TO KILL! how stupid! Our Government has murdered hundreds of thousands of people in the past 5 years alone! Where is one right and the other wrong?
This is crap. Geese are FAR worse regarding attacks on people than swans...This title sounds like one from the National Enquirer. U.S. News should be ashamed. Swas are not meek little sparrows, but they are not "killer swans" either.
The swan did not "kill or attack to death" this man. Besing a competitive swimmer, with lifesaving experience, the man's clothes most likely caused him to drown, with the difficulty of getting to shore fully clothed.
Depending on the kind of clothes, as well as footwear, most people do not realize how much these weigh when they are wet, much less impede any kind of effective swimming. If he had long sleeves on, it is most likely he couldn't lift his arms enough to even reach the swan. If he had on boots, once they were wet and full of water, they were/are like cement weights.
It soulnds like this man was a good soul, that had the best of intentions to help people with the dogs and nuisance control, etc.
It is a shame, but the headlines are totally decieving, This is an accident that happened when his canoe capsized, as happens every day, and the swan basically had nothing to do with it, except possibly trying to harass him to keep away from it's nest. The swan MOST CERTAINLY didn't drown him, as the headline suggests, and probably had no part in this sad and tragic accident.
He may have drowned because of the clothes, but an attacking swan didn't help either. They most definitely can be killers........read what I posted below.
Most headlines are misleading to get you to read the article. To sell papers !
Take the headline about Ted Kennedy and his "heroic" escape from Chappaquiddick!
Now he got away with Murder!
Natalie Portman is the best lookin swan I've ever seen... May he R.I.P.
Every five or six years I read about someone being killed by a swan. People don't realize how powerful and dangerous these animals are. We have a hobby farm and had large geese, and the gander sometimes bruised and bloodied some unexpecting visitors. A swan is 30-50% larger than many geese and like geese, have spurs on the side of their wings that they use for defense.
Don't mess with them, especially the males. You're just asking for trouble.
Was the swan's last name Zimmerman?
i think zimmerman is more of a doh doh bird, ie big and dumb.
A swan protecting their nest is NASTY! This is a very sad story, but if he was in the business of using swans to scare off geese he should have known this fact.
I bet it wasen't the swan that killed him. I lived blocks from the banks of the Des Plains River in Joliet IL. The river the man drowned in. Anyways, people drown in this river all year long. I bet the water was still cold, with the current & cold water, anyone can drown in this river.
In Joliet & in the dead of winter, people drive there cars into the river by accident all the time & die. I have not a doubt in my mind that the river got em. Combine cold water with current mixed with an assh0Le Swan & you have a recipe for drowning. He probally couldn't fight the current, the cold, & the Swan all at the same time. That river is most dangerous in Chicago, Romeoville & Joliet though. Anyway, sorry dude wish you didn't drown.
Swans knock people off jet-skis ALL the time... they are nasty!
what a koo koo story.
so the moral of the story is that stork bring-ith and the swan take-ith away, huh?
in reality, the guy was probably drunk or stone or murdered.