A seagull that was struck by a football during an amateur league play-off match in Istanbul was revived after a player rushed to its aid and performed CPR, club officials said Monday.
The incident occurred in the 22nd minute of the Istanbul 1st Amateur League Play-Off Final between Istanbul Yurdum Spor and Mevlanakapı Güzelhisar in the Zeytinburnu district. A clearance by goalkeeper Muhammed Uyanık collided with a low-flying seagull, sending the bird crashing to the ground.
“I didn’t realize the ball had hit a bird. I felt very bad afterward. It affected me deeply. After all, it’s a living being,” Uyanık told reporters.
Team captain Gani Çatan immediately ran to the injured seagull and began performing chest compressions, pumping carefully on its ribcage for nearly two minutes before handing it to medical staff on the sidelines. Footage shared by the club shows players and spectators watching in silence as Çatan attempted to revive the bird.
“Something was falling and I realized it was a seagull,” Çatan told the Anadolu Agency. “The first thing that came to my mind was heart massage because it couldn’t breathe, so I tried my luck.”
Club officials later said the seagull regained consciousness but suffered a damaged wing and remains under treatment. Its condition after the match was not immediately clear.
Despite the dramatic rescue, Istanbul Yurdum Spor lost the match and was eliminated from the playoffs. Çatan said the defeat mattered far less than helping the injured bird.
“We missed the championship, but saving a life was more important,” he said.
