Aurora to honor man and animal-control officer who rescued baby falcon

Aurora’s mayor will recognize Ed Bernal and Aurora Animal Control Officer Quinton Johnson at tonight’s Committee of the Whole meeting at City Hall for helping rescue a fledgling falcon named Hope, NBC 5 reported.

According to NBC 5, officials said Bernal jumped into the Fox River last week after seeing the bird struggling in the current. The report says Officer Quinton Johnson later reunited Hope with her mother by returning the bird to its nest.

The recognition is scheduled for the evening committee session; the report framed the incident as a point of local pride. "Very, very cool," the broadcast commentator said about the rescue, adding "Well done." The item does not report any formal vote or other council action tied to the recognition beyond the mayor’s planned acknowledgment.

The report did not provide exact dates for the rescue beyond "last week" or the mayor’s remarks beyond the scheduled recognition. NBC 5 identified the sequence of events as coming from officials and the animal-control department; no additional interview comments from Bernal or Officer Johnson were included in the broadcast.

The City Council’s Committee of the Whole meets at City Hall tonight, when the mayor is expected to make the recognition public on the council record.