Istanbul Captain Saves Seagull with CPR After Ball Hit

A Turkish soccer captain just proved that heroes don't always score goals. Sometimes they save lives.

During an amateur playoff match in Istanbul between Yurdum Spor and Mevlanakapi Guzelhisar, a seagull flew too low at exactly the wrong moment. A clearance kick sent the ball straight into the bird, which fell motionless onto the pitch.

Most players might have waited for someone else to help. But team captain Gani Catan didn't hesitate.

He sprinted to the fallen seagull and immediately recognized it wasn't breathing. Catan dropped to his knees and began performing chest compressions, adapting the CPR technique he knew for humans to the tiny bird's body.

The stadium fell silent as everyone watched. After several tense moments, the seagull began to move again.

Catan carefully picked up the bird and carried it to medical staff on the sidelines. They examined the seagull and treated what appeared to be a wing injury, giving it a real chance at recovery.

Sunny's Take

Here's the part that hits differently: Catan's team lost that playoff match. But when asked about it afterward, he said something that should make us all pause. Helping save a life mattered more than any championship.

In a world where winning often feels like everything, Catan showed 22 players and thousands of watching fans what actually deserves our urgency. Not the scoreboard. Not the trophy. Life itself.

The video of the rescue spread across Turkish social media within hours. Viewers praised Catan not just for his quick action but for the tenderness he showed. The way he cradled the bird. The concern on his face. The immediate choice to act rather than assume someone else would help.

Istanbul has plenty of seagulls, and soccer has millions of matches. But this moment stands out because it captures something increasingly rare: someone choosing compassion over competition when it counted most.

The seagull's current condition hasn't been publicly updated, but it was breathing and responsive when Catan handed it over for care. That's infinitely better than the alternative.

Sometimes the most important thing happening on a field has nothing to do with the game being played.

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