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A woman risked her own safety to save a young swan which had got itself entangled in fishing line and was stuck for hours at College Reservoir.

Sally Newman, 67, put on her wetsuit and scrambled down an embankment to get into the water to rescue the stricken bird at the reservoir in Penryn.

Because the bottom of the dam is incredibly muddy, she had to hold on to branches and tread water while trying to retrieve the cygnet, and her husband Guy, 81 had to help pull her out.

She said she did not regret her actions and would do it again if necessary. In fact, it was not the first time the couple have helped injured swans in the area.

“I could hear the bird crying which was awful,” she said. “It turned its head around and virtually gave up. I said I am not going to stand here and let that bird die.”

The couple, who have been feeding the swans at College and Argal Reservoirs every day for many years, went home to get Sally's wetsuit and some tools to cut back the branches on the bank.

She said the cygnet, which was nearly the size of an adult swan, had “almost given up” by the time she got to it.

It was first spotted at 10am on Monday and Sally, a community nurse, got the reservoir after she finished work at 2.30pm.

“Its parents had been hanging around but after a couple of hours got fed up and left and went to an island on the reservoir,” she said. “We tried the RSPCA but they said it would be four days as it wasn’t a priority. It would have been dead by then."

She said panic only really set in after she had got hold of the bird. “I was worried about the mud, as I would have sunk if I stood in it.

“I managed to get down the bank and held on to branches and treaded water. I got my arm around it and it hissed but was so exhausted.

“It was tangled in fishing line and sticks. It was around its legs, its wings. It couldn’t get away as it was wound around everything. I snapped the line and tucked the bird under my arm.

“I was a bit panic-stricken as I didn’t have much to hold onto and the water was up to my chin. I hung on to the trees and treaded water and Guy got the edge and pulled me out.

“It was quite a feat for us. I couldn’t have left it there and I would do it again if needed. I was determined to get it out.”

They used sissors to cut the wire off and wrapped the tired bird in a towel while they decided what to do with it.

Once it stood up, they made sure it had no injuries and decided the best thing would be to release it back into the water. It immediately swam towards the island to its parents.

The next morning they went back and were delighted to find it was still with its family and seemed no worse off for its ordeal.

Three weeks ago the couple found themselves having to wrangle with a fully grown adult male at Argal after they found it with a fish hook in its beak.

“We feed them so we got close and then I sat astride it while Guy removed the hook,” said Mrs Newman. “Its wings were flapping and it was furious.”

Last year they rescued a cygnet with a leg injury which was taken to West Hatch for treatment.

“We are passionate about it. It really annoys me when things like this happen.”