Pigeon hero

At the pier today I looked down at the waves, full of surfers, and saw something flapping in the ocean. It was a pigeon. How it fell in I don't know, but its wings were now too heavy with water for it to take off again. It was flapping hard and nonstop, trying desperately to get away-- a piteous sight. A number of surfers in their fashionable board shorts (has to be fashion; otherwise why on earth would you go swimming in a baggy garment that extends to the knees?) passed the poor pigeon by. I'm not sure but I think they might have been self-conscious about interacting with it when they knew there were lots of people watching from the pier. Finally one young man with a yellow surfboard came along, and after some failed attempts he managed to maneuver his board under the pigeon and pick it up that way. As soon as it was on the board, it stopped flapping. Poor thing must've been exhausted. The guy swam with the pigeon all the way in to shore and left it on a pile of seaweed to dry. He's my hero. It would have ruined the day if no one had rescued the bird!