PORT ANGELES — Two bald eagles have been killed in a freak accident in Port Angeles that also interrupted electrical power briefly.
Power in downtown Port Angeles blipped Friday at about 6 p.m. after two eagles landed on parallel power lines that cross over Cedar Street near Third Street.
The big birds’ wings touched, killing both, said Sgt. Barbara McFall of the Port Angeles Police Department.
The eagles — a mature bird and a juvenile — were electrocuted, McFall said.
Malik Atwater, a restaurateur who is preparing to reopen his business at Cedar Street and Marine Drive, was behind his business when it happened.
“It sounded like a cannon boom,” Atwater said.
When the eagles touched, the connection caused a power surge that blanked out lights and computers briefly. McFall said that she thought power was restored to most customers immediately.
Both eagles fell to the ground on the eastern sidewalk of Cedar Street.
Officer John Nutter, who assisted at the scene, said that the pair also dropped a portion of a chicken. He thought they had been fighting over it.
The carcasses of the eagles were taken by the state Fish and Wildlife Department.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com
