A man who ignored warnings not to jump into a river near a swan's babies learned a painful lesson when the protective mother bird launched a fierce attack. The incident occurred on May 27 at the River Stour in Blandford Forum, Dorset, during a heatwave.
The Incident
Antonio Cruz, 49, was at the river when he noticed a group of intoxicated men wanting to jump in. He warned them of a swan with a cygnet nearby, but one man ignored him and jumped in right next to the bird. The swan became territorial and attacked the man, leaving him injured.
Viral Video
Cruz captured the attack on video and shared it on TikTok, where it garnered over 127,600 views. The footage shows the swan repeatedly hitting the man with its wings and chasing him as he struggled to escape.
Aftermath
The man was so hurt he could barely lift one arm and had to be helped out of the water by a woman. Cruz hopes the incident serves as a warning to others. Social media users called the man an 'idiot' and 'disrespectful' for disturbing the swan.
Cruz said, 'It's downright stupid. Why would you do it, I don't get it.' He later checked on the swan and its baby, confirming they were unharmed.
