Employee Finds Missing Pet Bird 100 Feet Up On Myrtle Beach SkyWheel

A beloved pet cockatiel named Joel is home safe and sound after a few days of high-flying adventure. 

The Myrtle Beach SkyWheel posted on Facebook last week that an employee discovered the lost cockatiel when climbing up to do a "daily wheel check."

“Gavin heard chirping and noticed Joel hopping around the bars of the SkyWheel about 100 feet in the air,” the popular South Carolina tourist attraction wrote. “Gavin held out his arm and Joel flew to him and landed on his arm. Joel hopped in Gavin’s hoodie as Gavin climbed down the SkyWheel ladder to bring him down.” 

“(It) was definitely a first,” Sean Bailey, marketing manager at SkyWheel Attractions, told The Sun News. 

On the ground, Joel became fast friends with another employee, Theresa, and made himself comfortable on her shoulder. Theresa’s mom was able to connect with friends who noticed a flier about a missing bird. 

“After missing for several days, Joel is now happy and home with his owner after quite a high flying adventure,” the post concludes.

“We’re really proud of our crew for responding the way they did, not only getting the bird to safety but also being able to track down his owner,” Bailey told the newspaper.

According to a post on an international lost birds Facebook group, Christine Iturrino, a Myrtle Beach resident, began searching for Joel on February 25.

“Joel’s safe return wouldn’t have ever happened, if it weren’t for the staff at the SkyWheel (in) Myrtle Beach,” Iturrino wrote in a followup post. “Yes.....just like any other tourist, Joel ended up on the SkyWheel not quite two miles away...”

Welcome home, Joel!