Animal rescue workers assisted by local fire district and Sheriff's Office staff freed a great horned owl found tangled in kite string in Woodside this week.

Someone spotted the owl on Monday and called the Peninsula Humane Society & Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which helped rescue the bird. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office and the Woodside Fire Protection District also helped in the effort.

"The poor owl was hanging by her wing suspended between two trees," PHS/SPCA spokeswoman Buffy Martin Tarbox said in a news release. "She was unable to free herself, and without human assistance more than likely would have perished."

Firefighters cut the kite string and humane society staff caught the owl and checked it for injuries.

"Thankfully she suffered no injuries from her ordeal and was immediately released back to the wild," Tarbox said.

Workers believe that the owl wasn't stuck for long. If it had been, it would likely have had serious injuries such as a broken shoulder or wing, Tarbox said.

"This owl was just incredibly lucky," she said.