Watch: You will never guess how a man saved a kookaburra which nearly drowned in his pool

A family in Australia was surprised to find a kookaburra – a tree kingfisher – floating in their pool one fine morning. The bird, which hit their glass wall and landed in the pool, was unresponsive when a man fished it out and began to perform Cardiopulmanory Resuscitation (CPR).

The video above shows what happened, zooming in on these tense minutes. The houseowner tries to revive the bird by pressing its chest to clear the lungs of water. The kookaburra’s tell-tale “laugh” and bated breaths are the only sounds heard.

But it seems futile. “Dad. Stop. I think you’re killing him,” his son mutters, though his father doesn’t look ready to give up yet. Up next, attemped mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

When that does not work either, the man has a brainwave. And the video shows how the bird is revived. “Dad saved a kookaburra!” the son announces happily.

Kookaburras are native to mainland Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania. They are known for their distinct territorial call that resembles a husky laugh. They are often seen in suburban areas, turning up at people’s gardens, ponds, and, of course, pools.