Wife of Man Killed After Swan Attack Files Suit

The lawsuit claims the “presence of the mute swans on the premises rendered it unreasonably dangerous”

The wife of a man who drowned after he was attacked by swan two years ago is suing his employer and the condo complex where the swan was kept.

The lawsuit filed Monday in Cook County Circuit Court on behalf of Amy Hensley claims a swan attack caused or contributed to the drowning of Anthony Hensley and names Bay Colony Drive condo complex, Hillcrest Property Management and Hensley’s employer Knox Swan and Dog, LLC.

A condominium association for a complex in the 9300 block of Bay Colony Drive in an unincorporated area of Cook County near Des Plaines contracted a company to keep the geese away from the area, and the method they used to keep the geese away was to bring a swan into a nearby pond, Cook County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Frank Bilecki explained.

Anthony Hensley of Villa Park worked for the company that brought the swan into the pond and he was in a kayak in the pond, apparently checking on the swan when, investigators believe, he either got too close to the swan or the swan’s nesting area, and the swan advanced toward him, Bilecki said.

Investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration worked to determine if any safety violations contributed to Hensley's death. The agency ultimately cleared his employer, saying it found no violations.

The lawsuit claims the “presence of the mute swans on the premises rendered it unreasonably dangerous” and says the defendants “knew or should have known that mute swans are strongly territorial with a dangerous propensity to attack.”

Contact Us