Man Drowns After Being Attacked By Swans

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Family and friends spent Sunday trying to understand how a Villa Park man drowned in a Des Plaines area pond after he was apparently attacked by swans he took care of.

Anthony Hensley, a 37-year-old married father of two, worked for a company that used swans and dogs to keep geese away from properties.

He was checking on the swans near the Bay Colony condominiums in unincorporated Des Plaines Saturday morning when one of the swans swam at him, causing Hensley to roll off his kayak into the water.

Cook County sheriff’s investigators believe Hensley either got too close to the swan or the swan’s nesting area.

According to witnesses, the swan continued to swim after Hensley as he tried to make it to shore. By the time rescue personnel arrived, Hensley was under water. An autopsy found he died from drowing.

Hensley liked working with animals, according to his father-in-law, George Koutsogiannis. “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.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/1192318...e-to-swan.html

It was Hensley’ job to care for the swans at the Bay Colony Drive apartment complex near Des Plaines, but Saturday morning something went wrong, and there was an altercation with at least one of the large birds.

“They probably thought that he was going too close to their eggs, and they were too scared, and they just attacked him,” eyewitness Daniel Gamanov said.

He was awakened by a witness pounding on his apartment window, screaming for someone to call police. By the time he looked out, he could see the kayak, but could see no sign of Hensley.

Witnesses said Hensley came up at least once after his kayak tipped in the pond, but by the time police finally pulled him out of the water, more than a half hour had passed.

An autopsy Sunday afternoon determined Hensley drowned.

According to his father, Hensley was a good swimmer, but he ended up in the water while fully clothed and wearing boots. To make the situation worse, police said the swans continued to swim at Hensley as he tried to make it to shore.

His two daughters are so young, they have yet to be told their daddy never made it home from work.

His father, Raymond Hensley, said “They’re too young. They just know their father is not here, and they don’t know why. It’s tragic for him to have to spend the last few moments like that. That’s always my worst fear, drowning.”

Anthony Hensley’s wife of four years was too distraught to talk about her loss, so her brother spoke for her.

“He’s my brother-in-law, and I’m going to miss him,” Tony Macri said.

He also spoke of how his sister and nieces are now without a bread-winner, and without a secure future.
[...]

If you would like to help out the Hensley family, donations are being accepted in lieu of flowers:

Amy Hensley
c/o Steuerle Funeral Home
350 S. Ardmore Ave.
Villa Park, IL 60181

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/04/...r-des-plaines/

[AngelFire]

Wow in the past week I have learned I can get shot but striking a bullet just in the right spot, or killed tending to Swans. I think I might just go back to bed now...

[cubby]

Swans and Geese are some mean ass birds and they are very territorial. That's why they can be used to keep people off of property. They make a great alarm, too, at least the geese, swans can be mute, but geese make the worst god-awful noise you have ever heard. these birds have been known to drive off big dogs, too.

We feed some geese that are in the pond downtown where there is a dog walking trail and our dog doesn't even want to walk there. He sits down and looks terrified in the direction of the honking geese. Sarge is also scared of thunder and I guess these honking geese reminds him of thunder! LOL

[AngelFire]

Swans and Geese are some mean ass birds and they are very territorial.

You don't have to tell me, @cubby. I had the misfortune of getting chased by geese and one rip through my diaper and bit me in the ass. I still have the small scar on my butt. My mom said I used to climb out of my crib and go down the hill to my uncle's house where the geese were. But that one day I wasn't fast enough and got nipped in the ass.



Killer fucking birds.

[Morbid]

DES PLAINES, IL – A 37-year-old man in Illinois drowned in a condo’s retention pond*after being attacked by one or more swans.
Anthony Hensley worked for Knox Swan and Dog LLC, a company that places swans or dogs in areas experiencing problems with the geese population. Hensley was at the Bay Colony Drive condos early Saturday morning, caring for swans they’d placed in their retention pond.
Residents say Hensley has been a regular visitor there for years, often seen on the pond in his kayak caring for the swans and feeding them. But tragedy struck that*morning*when one or more of the swans attacked him. No one knows exactly what prompted the attack — some thinking he just got too close to their nest or eggs — but whatever the reason, it resulted in Hensley’s kayak flipping over.
He was a good swimmer, but a combination of being fully clothed and wearing boots made it difficult for Hensley to keep his head above water. This was made especially laborious by the swans who continued their assault on Hensley as he tried to swim to shore.
Witnesses say Hensley came up at least once before disappearing under the water and never resurfaced until his body was pulled out of the pond over 30 minutes later by a dive crew.…

This article is from The Dreamin' Demon, the Internet's self-appointed buzzkill.


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