Florida Agencies Collaborate to Rescue Manatee Trapped in Storm Drain
MELBOURNE BEACH, Fla. — In a remarkable rescue operation on Monday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) joined forces with Brevard County Fire Rescue and other local agencies to free an adult male manatee trapped inside a storm drain in Melbourne Beach. The manatee, later nicknamed Melby by rescuers, was discovered during a routine infrastructure survey as crews worked on improving storm drainage systems in the area.
Melbourne Beach Vice Mayor Terry Cronin explained that the manatee was found in what is known as a “bethel box,” a component of the storm drain system. “Our people were doing a survey, and one of the surveyors noticed a manatee trapped in there,” Cronin said in an interview with WESH-TV. Officials believe the animal sought warmer water amid a recent cold snap and swam up from the Indian River through the pipe, only to become stuck.
Responders faced a challenging task to safely extract the large marine mammal. They drilled into the road and lifted a concrete slab to create an opening wide enough to hoist Melby out using a tow truck. Throughout the rescue, the manatee remained active and showed no immediate signs of cold stress, though officials noted that its overall health condition would require further assessment.
Following the extraction, Melby was transported to SeaWorld Orlando, where veterinary experts began a thorough evaluation and initiated rehabilitation efforts. The FWC emphasized the importance of such rescues in protecting Florida’s vulnerable manatee population, which continues to face threats from habitat loss, cold weather, and human-related hazards. For more information on manatee conservation and rescue efforts, visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website.
Manatees are federally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, and the FWC coordinates closely with federal agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure their safety. This rescue highlights the critical role of interagency cooperation in responding to wildlife emergencies.
As Florida continues to experience extreme weather fluctuations, incidents like Melby’s rescue underscore the need for ongoing vigilance and infrastructure planning that considers the natural behaviors of local wildlife. The storm drain system improvements in Melbourne Beach aim to balance human safety with environmental stewardship.
For updates on manatee rescue operations and rehabilitation efforts, the public can follow the FWC’s official channels and learn how to report distressed wildlife through their Wildlife Alert program.
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