{"id":472116,"date":"2026-02-13T09:38:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T09:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/472116\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T09:38:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T09:38:14","slug":"410-pound-manatee-rescued-after-getting-trapped-in-florida-storm-drain-national","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/472116\/","title":{"rendered":"410-pound manatee rescued after getting trapped in Florida storm drain – National"},"content":{"rendered":"

A manatee<\/a> was rescued after it was trapped in a Florida<\/a> storm drain while seeking warmer waters after recent cold temperatures.<\/p>\n

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Multiple fire rescue units and officials were brought in Tuesday to get the 410-pound sea cow out of the storm drain, designed to collect trash and debris.<\/p>\n

Brevard County Fire Rescue (BCFR) said it<\/a> \u201ctook a village to free the sea cow,\u201d including \u201cBCFR\u2019s stations 48 and 64, Indiatlantic Fire Rescue, Melbourne Beach FD, University of Florida\u2019s Veterinary Emergency Treatment Services, FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission), Public Works, and Jack\u2019s Wrecker Service.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tThis photo provided by Brevard County Fire Rescue shows members of Brevard County Fire Rescue helping rescue a manatee that was stuck in a storm drain on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026 in Melbourne Beach, Fla.\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tBrevard County Fire Rescue via AP\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tThis photo provided by Brevard County Fire Rescue shows members of Brevard County Fire Rescue helping rescue a manatee that was stuck in a storm drain on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026 in Melbourne Beach, Fla.\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tBrevard County Fire Rescue via AP\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tThis photo provided by Brevard County Fire Rescue shows members of Brevard County Fire Rescue helping rescue a manatee that was stuck in a storm drain on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026 in Melbourne Beach, Fla.\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tBrevard County Fire Rescue via AP\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

A worker with Melbourne Beach first spotted the manatee, according to Melbourne Beach Vice-Mayor Terry Cronin.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe\u2019re in the process of improving the storm drain across Melbourne Beach. Our people were doing a survey. And one of the surveyors noticed a manatee in what is called a baffle box,\u201d Cronin told WESH-TV<\/a> after the rescue.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFlorida group racing to save manatees as deaths rise at alarming rate\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that during the initial onsite assessment<\/a>, responders noted that the male manatee \u201cwas underweight and had multiple open wounds on his underside near the tail and flippers.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe good news: the manatee showed interest in food during his first night in care, which is an encouraging sign,\u201d they added.<\/p>\n

The manatee is now recovering at SeaWorld Orlando after the co-ordinated rescue effort.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhen we say our SeaWorld Rescue team is always on-call, we mean it. Monday in the late evening, we received a call about a manatee who was trapped in a \u2018baffle box\u2019 underground and was rescued through a multi-agency effort, including our partners at @myFWC. Our team was then ready to receive this over 400 pound manatee for expert care and rehabilitation,\u201d SeaWorld Orlando wrote in a post on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The animal theme park said the \u201cgentle giant is showing positive signs of recovery,\u201d like \u201cmoving independently, breathing on his own, and showing interest in food.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re optimistic about his future and grateful to play a critical part in his journey,\u201d SeaWorld Orlando added.<\/p>\n

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The protected species is still recovering from a mass starvation event. In 2021, officials recorded<\/a> more than 1,100 manatee deaths, mostly caused by starvation. The state\u2019s fish and wildlife agency said deaths have gone down significantly, with 565 deaths recorded in 2024 and 555 in 2023.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t the first time a manatee has been stuck in a storm drain in Florida.<\/p>\n

In 2015, rescuers worked late into the night to free at least 19 manatees<\/a> who were stuck in a storm drain in Satellite Beach and returned to the Indian River Lagoon System.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tManatee rescued from storm drain in Florida\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

After the manatees were removed from the drain, they were allowed to rest before they were loaded into a truck and taken back to the body of water that led to the river.<\/p>\n

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\u2014 With files from The Associated Press<\/p>\n

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