/ 14 November 2007

One dead, one injured in pet rescue

One man was killed and another was then seriously injured when they tried to climb a tree at night to recapture a pet cockatoo in Australia.

The bird’s 72-year-old owner fell as he tried to recover the pet in the country town of Bendigo in southern Victoria state. He was taken to hospital for treatment, police said.

The injured man’s neighbour (58) then took over the rescue, but he also fell and died instantly when he hit the ground.

”This was just an unfortunate accident,” Bendigo police sergeant Peter Gilmore told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio. – Reuters