Florida deputies save distressed manatee by holding its head up for 2 hours
Photo: Pinellas County Sheriffs Office
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. - A manatee in "deep distress" was saved by two deputies who stayed in the water for two hours holding its head up until it could be rescued, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said.
"This manatee is going to die right in front of us and I’m not letting that happen," Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Deputy Jill Constant said.
It all happened a few weeks ago in the Intracoastal Waterway in Pinellas County. A woman alerted authorities, saying "something was wrong" with the manatee. When deputies arrived, they agreed – the creature was "in deep distress."
"We’re watching it, and it will not go underwater. It just stayed at the surface with labored breathing," Constant said.
The manatee was desperate to beach itself on the rocks so it wouldn't drown – and that's when Constant knew she had to jump in. "We docked the boat, I took off my equipment, and got in," she said about her and a fellow deputy.
They stayed in the water for two hours holding its head up until a rescue team came, officials said.
"Deputies in the Marine and Environmental Lands Unit do more than just enforce boating laws, they are also tasked with protecting the numerous preserves in the county including the wildlife within," the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office wrote on Facebook.
The manatee, however, reportedly wasn't thrilled with the rescue mission.
Photo: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office
"At the end of the process it was not happy with us! At the beginning it was too exhausted, but after a while it had recovered its strength a little and it started thrashing. I thought I was going to drown – a martyr for the cause," Constant said.
The manatee is expected to make a full recovery, said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists who responded to the scene.
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There are only about 7,000 West Indian manatees left in Florida
West Indian manatees are in special need of protection since there are only 13,000 of them left in the world. About half of them live in Florida, authorities said.
About 1,000 manatees died in 2022 from boat strikes, red tide events or starvation from habitat destruction.
How to keep manatees safe
Anything that interferes with a manatee's natural behavior can put it in danger, officials said. They shared the following safety tips about manatees:
- Follow slow speed minimum wake signs in manatee areas
- Touching manatees is against the law, even if they seek you out
- Don't feed manatees
- Don't offer manatees a freshwater hose from your dock
"Education is our most powerful tool," Constant said. "Most people out here do not have ill intent. They don’t want to hurt a manatee. People just get enamored of how sweet they are, how social they are, and they’ll come right up to you. But it’s that forbidden fruit. You can’t do it."