Roger Wallace of the World Bird Sanctuary brought in the bird

Aug 28, 2013 12:01 GMT  ·  By

A bold eagle escaped during the commencement ceremony at ORU University last week, taking students on an emotional roller coaster.

The bird was brought in for a chapel service by Roger Wallace of the World Bird Sanctuary, Grind TV reported.

As he joined ORU President Dr. William Wilson on stage, the eagle flew off into the crowd, as students cheered and clapped.

Suddenly, the bird stopped flying and dropped among them, prompting screams and panic. Apparently Lewis, the bold eagle, had crashed into a window.

“It’s OK, it’s OK. [...] Roger’s got it,” Wilson said to calm the crowd down.

“It was a bit shocking to see, but we’re thankful the eagle is OK,” ORU spokeswoman Carissa Bratschun stated.

Wallace had trained the bird, which he rescued in Washington. It had fractured its hip and leg and couldn't survive on its own.