Off you go! Moment 'fearless' woman wrangles stranded swan and lobs it off bridge into Berlin canal
This is the impressive moment an elderly woman fearlessly wrangled a confused swan and returned it to a canal in Berlin.
A video taken by filmmaker and photographer Marcy Mendelson shows the woman pick up the big bird and drop it off a bridge in the German capital city on January 3.
The woman, who sells newspapers by the Admiralsbrücke, spotted the disorientated swan landing and then pacing up and down the bridge as if trying to work out how to get to the water. 
The woman grabs the swan by its wings on the Admiralsbrücke in Berlin so she can return it to the canal
The footage shows the woman, dressed in a headscarf and padded coat, confidently walk up to the bird and pin back its huge wings.
People in the background can be heard reassuring the swan that 'she means well' and saying that 'it's all good' in German.
The woman lifts the swan up and drops it over the bridge's metal railings, before the camera pans to show the bird safely swimming in the water.
Onlookers can be heard telling the woman 'well done' and hailing her bravery.
Ms Mendelson later praised the 'fearless' intervention. She said: 'I saw the swan fly too low to clear the bridge and land just in front of the railing.
'It was slightly dazed and confused and began to pace back and forth, unable to figure out how to return to the water.
'As onlookers gathered, confused and worried, the lady got up and just did what had to be done.'
The woman, believed to be a newspaper vendor well-known in the area, confidently handles the bird and hoists it over the bridge railings
The bird is safely returned to the water in footage shot on January 3
In an Instagram post about the events, Ms Mendelson explained that the swan ended up trapped on the bridge after it 'miscalculated its landing'.
She added: 'Swans are dangerous birds and can seriously injure people but this woman fearless lady took no s***.'
Ms Mendelson also posted the clip on Twitter, where it amassed more than 24,000 likes and has been shared 3,000 times.
The commenters remarked on the Berliner's courage and grit.
Jacquie Hahn said: 'Never, EVER underestimate grannies in improbably big coats. They're hiding superpowers under all that insulation.'
Another from user @sarcocornia read: 'She knew exactly what she was doing, that’s years of experience. I wouldn’t mess with her slightly smiling face.'
Kate Gregory added: 'Not just braver: trained and skilled. She knew the technique for picking up a large bird that is trying to hurt you. And wasn't afraid to use it.'
The young swan (right) swims off after the woman's 'fearless' intervention
The elderly woman approaches the swan and calmly takes a hold of it. After viewing the footage of the rescue one online commenter said: 'Never, EVER underestimate grannies in improbably big coats. They're hiding superpowers under all that insulation'
Some people in the comments claim that the elderly woman is Emma, a newspaper vendor well known in the city's Kreuzberg district.
She was born into a German-speaking family Volgograd, Russia and as a small child was sent to a Siberian labour camp until she was 17, the Kreuzberger Chronik reported.
After the war they relocated to Kazakhstan, where Emma and her family lived until the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The swan the woman rescued appears to be a young adolescent from the brown tint on its wings.
According to UK charity the Swan Sanctuary, swans can be a danger to humans and are capable of breaking a person's hand with their wing 'in exceptional cases'.
Its website said: 'If a wing in full span and velocity were to hit a weak-boned person (such as a child or an elderly person) then it is theoretically possible.
'In reality it is almost unheard of and is never used as a form of attack as swans are a defensive bird.
'The only time they become aggressive is when they are protecting their nesting ground or cygnets when they will chase off intruders, be they other swans, geese or humans who get too close.'
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