A swan has been stuck in the rapids of the Croton Dam in Cortlandt for at least five days, and a resident says her attempts to get it rescued have be futile.

Deborah Ramsey walks with her dog along the top of the Croton Dam almost every day. Earlier this week, she was shocked to see a swan struggling to get out of the rapids. The powerful flow of water over the spillway on one side of the gorge and a steep rock wall on the other side present major obstacles to a rescue attempt.

Ramsey says she has contacted many animal rescue groups, but has gotten no results.

The dam and the reservoir behind it are owned by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. A DEP police officer told Ramsey that the only way to rescue the bird would be to rappel down the rock wall.

According to a spokesperson for the state Department of Environmental Conservation, New York City is responsible for the bird?s rescue since it is trapped in DEP property. The spokesperson adds the department would not risk the life of a human just to save the bird.