This is the moment a bald eagle swooped down and grabbed a fish just seconds after it was thrown back into the water.

Josie Francis, 29, and her partner Thomas Reidy, 31, were out on a boat in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin, when they spotted a bald eagle perched nearby.

Moments earlier, they had caught a 12-inch smallmouth bass.

On a whim, Thomas tossed it back into the lake, curious to see if the eagle was watching.

To their amazement, the eagle launched from its perch almost immediately, snatching the fish in a dramatic swoop just 15 yards from their boat.

Josie, a freelance creative from Los Angeles, California, said: "It happened so fast. "

"We were so surprised. "

"Literally within seconds of Thom throwing the fish, the eagle was already swooping down."

"You can hear me yell ‘He's coming, babe!!' in the video. "

"You can sense the adrenaline and excitement in my voice. We were in complete shock."