MELBOURNE BEACH, Fla. – First responders rushed to a scene in Melbourne Beach on Monday afternoon after a manatee became stuck in a storm drain, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The incident happened around 2103 Neptune Drive, where the FWC’s Manatee Rescue Unit was spotted on scene.
News 6 reached out to the FWC, which confirmed that an adult manatee had indeed been found in the drain.
“There may have been some warmer water coming out of that culvert or just that culvert might have had some warmth and the animal just sensed that and kind of swam in there,” said FWC Manatee Rescue Coordinator Andy Garrett.
Video from the scene shows first responders surrounding a manhole along the roadway.
The FWC also announced that it was working with federal, state and local partners to evaluate the situation and figure out the safest possible response for both the manatee and first responders.
“It probably just swam in and manatees don’t do very well trying to back up, so it just kept going forward, going forward into the box where it couldn’t go any further,” Garrett said.
[BELOW: Hundreds of manatees flock to Blue Spring State Park to stay warm during cold weather]
“We decided the best case was to cut a hole above and then lower a stretcher and have a team go down. The fire department felt a lot more comfortable if the area above the manatee was exposed. It wasn’t as much of a confined space issue for them at that point,” Garrett said.
Around 9 p.m., crews were seen finally pulling the manatee out from the storm drain using a crane.
FWC officials said the manatee could have been stuck for weeks and that its belly was sunken in and skin very wrinkly.
“The animal was definitely showing signs of hypothermia, so they put it in a warm pool,” Garrett said. “It seems to be active, which is a good sign, so it’s pointing to a good outcome, but I’m sure it’s a guarded prognosis right now.”
Following the rescue, the male was taken to SeaWorld Orlando.
“The sub-adult male (a “teenager”), approx. 410 lbs and 213 cm, arrived late last night and is currently housed in one of our medical pools. He’s breathing on his own, moving independently and showing interest in food. Our teams are adjusting water levels to support buoyancy and comfort as part of his care."
SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando rescued 56 manatees last year and has already taken in seven so far this year.