Deputies in Pinellas County hold ‘exhausted’ manatee’s head for hours so it wouldn’t drown

At the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, two deputies held a manatee’s head above water for two hours recently, after having found the animal too “exhausted” to keep itself from keeping its head out of the water during the red tide.

According to the organization’s public information post on their website, the department received a call a few weeks ago about a manatee in distress in the Intracoastal Waterway. When the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Marine and Environment Lands Unit Deputy Jill Constant arrived, she knew the manatee was in dire need of help. The mammal had tried to beach itself and put its head on the rocks so it could breathe.

We’re watching it, and it will not go underwater. It just stayed at the surface with labored breathing.

this manatee is going to die right in front of us, and i’m not letting that happen.

We docked the boat, I took off my equipment, and got in. We stayed in the water for two hours holding its head up until it could be rescued.

Deputy Jill Constant

After the manatee rested, it had recovered a bit, and the 2,000 “sea cow” started to thrash around. It is believed the animal’s distress had been caused by the red tide which produces toxins. It may also have been suffering from starvation; a disturbing reality as the red tide moved closer to the Florida beaches. The absence of seagrass, a main diet staple, has also decreased. Rescuers had been feeding the manatees lettuce earlier in the season to stave off starvation.

Biologists did arrive and rescued the animal that made a full recovery and was later returned to the wild.

And for the people who have never had any experiences with manatees, these gentle giants are sweet, social and gentle, however it is against the law to touch, feel or do anything that could affect any decrease in their population.

It is estimated there are only 13,000 West Indian manatees left in the world; 6,000 to 7,000 live in Florida. Most manatees are killed from boat strikes, starvation and environmental issues; the easiest to control are boaters who are cautioned to take extra care.

Many thanks to our Pinellas County Sheriff Office deputies for going far beyond what anyone would expect, but so appreciated. Being the voice for those who cannot speak makes our hearts smile.

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