Watch an eagle steal a GoPro in this epic footage

A GoPro owner nearly lost his camera after a bald eagle took a liking to it, snatching it in its talons and flying off.

Matthew Beedle decided to see if he could capture some bald eagles on camera near the family home in Juneau, Alaska by using salmon as bait, according to a profile about the incident on the GoPro website.

Beedle’s GoPro Hero 4 was turned on throughout the incident, capturing incredible bird’s-eye footage.

He laid out the salmon on a log and placed his camera on a nearby stump. Before he knew it, an eagle had landed by the camera, giving the viewer an up-close view of the predator.

Unfortunately, Beedle wasn’t counting on a sneak attack by another eagle, which swooped in and took the camera in its talons, soaring into the sky above.

Beedle and his father watched as the eagle flapped away, taking the camera on a trip above the forest. Luckily, his father was snapping still photos of the eagle’s escape, which the pair later used to locate the stolen GoPro.

They didn’t find it right away, but returned the next day and scrabbled around in the trees to locate it. Thank goodness they did, because this footage is incredible.

The video was filmed in 2015, but was posted on YouTube on July 3 as a nominee for the GoPro awards.