WATCH: Florida Man Saves Injured Bald Eagle from Gator-Infested Lake Because ‘It’s America, Ya Know?’

A patriotic man gave a whole new meaning to “America First” when he saw an injured bald eagle drowning in a Florida lake on April 19.

Lakewood Ranch resident Doug Hay is almost 70 years old, but his age was not a factor when he saw the bird needed his assistance, Fox 13 reported on April 22.

When the incident happened, he and his wife were in their living room and heard a loud noise. They quickly realized an eagle had fallen into the lake in their backyard and it was struggling in the water. Hay, who loves animals, figured the eagle could not swim.

He also noticed another eagle circling above the area and believes the two had been fighting each other prior to one of them falling into the body of water.

“They had like a mid-air fight and one of them got the worst of it and ended up crashed into the lake,” Hay told Inside Edition:

Hay tore off his shirt and shoes before diving into the water and also tossed his phone aside. His wife picked it up and filmed the entire rescue.

The clip shows Hay swimming toward the shore while pulling the bird along behind him. Hay was gentle with the eagle, which appeared to be shock:

Hay knows there is a seven-foot long alligator that lives in the lake, so time was of the essence to save the bald eagle and get back onshore. However, Hay said he was not too worried about the alligator. It seems he was only focused on rescuing the bird, which has been the national symbol since 1782. The incident left him with a few minor injuries on his arms from the bald eagle’s talons.

The injured bird was later transferred to the Wildlife Center of Southwest Florida where it is recovering from a wound near its thoracic cavity. The eagle will later undergo physical therapy to get it flying again.

Hay said he does not regret rescuing the bald eagle. “I just wanted to get the eagle to save it because it’s our national symbol. It’s freedom. It’s America, ya know?”