On a cool October morning at the Salt Lake City New Water Reclamation Facility construction site in Salt Lake City, Utah, workers noticed an unusual sight: a barn owl trapped in one of the site’s water-filled concrete tanks. The owl, soaked and struggling to stay afloat, couldn’t lift her wings to fly to safety. The crew immediately swooped in to help. 

“We all stood there, figuring out the best way to help without scaring her more,” says Jake Wilkins, a PCL assistant superintendent who helped lead rescue efforts. Barn owls, unlike waterfowl, are not adapted to handle water. When wet, their feathers become too heavy for flight, leaving the bird stranded and at risk. Realizing this owl’s chance of survival was limited, the team moved quickly. 

Using the tools at their disposal, they lowered a metal basket attached to a crane into the tank, successfully scooped the owl up and brought her back to solid ground. Though rescued from the water, the owl was exhausted, soaked and unable to fly.  

The team brought the owl to a nearby trailer with a space heater and wrapped it in a sweatshirt, generously donated by one of the crane riggers, while a few of the site’s carpenters got to work constructing a birdbox for transport. The team contacted the Wildlife Center of Salt Lake, a nonprofit organization that specializes in the conservation of Utah’s wildlife through education and rehabilitation and opted to take the owl to the center so she could receive proper care.  

Staff at the Wildlife Center commended the construction team’s quick action, noting that if non-aquatic animals remain in water for too long, they face risks like pneumonia and rhabdomyolysis, a muscle-deteriorating condition caused by overexertion. Thanks to the construction team’s swift actions, the owl now had a fighting chance. 

The owl was kept at the Wildlife Center for several days receiving rest and pain medication. After passing a flight test, the owl was released back into her natural habitat. Shortly after her release, the Wildlife Center released a statement expressing their appreciation of the construction team’s quick actions: 

“We are honored to serve Salt Lake City and support our surrounding communities through wildlife rehabilitation and release and would like to thank the Sundt-PCL employees as well as the city of Salt Lake for their actions and stewardship for wildlife.” 

Reflecting on the rescue, Wilkins explained, “We’ve seen some wildlife around the project site, including other owls. We understand this is their home too, so we make it a point to try and live with them cooperatively.”  

For the team, this experience reinforced their commitment to respecting the surrounding environment.