A rescue crew worked late in the night Monday to free 19 manatees stuck in a drainage pipe in a residential neighborhood in Satellite Beach, Florida.
Manatee rescue underway from Satellite Beach storm drain. http://t.co/8s7H2Rdlsr
Livestreaming of the #ManateeRescue in Satellite Beach continues at http://t.co/vbhYvP7X2W. Six rescued so far.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the marine mammals likely followed each other into the pipe as they sought fresh water as well as warmer temperatures, Florida Today reported.
BREAKING: Manatee rescue underway in Satellite Beach. I'm told more than a dozen trapped in drainage pipe.
"It's been cold lately and these canals are all filled with manatees,'' Satellite Beach Fire Chief Don Hughes told the site. "I wouldn't even begin to venture a guess as to how they got into the drainage pipes. They will go wherever there's warm water."
Heartbreaking Pictures from the manatee rescue tonight. Watch live on http://t.co/Vra9MbF9Rr #local6 #manateerescue
Backhoes equipped with slings were on the scene to lift the animals out as necessary, and rescuers were also working to guide them back toward open water.
Here’s a look at two manatees rescued so far in Satellite Beach, east of Orlando: http://t.co/S0aqYyGDWB
Rescuers from SeaWorld joined the fish and wildlife commission in the operation.
#BreakingNews: We're working w/ local agencies & firefighters to rescue at least 17 #manatees stuck in a drain pipe:
After a long night of rescues, all 19 manatees were successfully freed from the drain.
11 manatees rescued so far by fwc and sea world from a drain pipe in Satellite Beach, Florida. #manateerescue
I'm naming number 19 splashy! Number 19 has been rescued from the drain pipe in Satellite Beach. #manateerescue
Splashy was the last one. 19 total manatees rescued from a drain pipe in satellite beach. #manateerescue All alive.
The freed animals were released back into the wild, while others managed to escape on their own.
Per Satellite Fire Chief: 19 manatees RESCUED! FWC: as many as 30 had gone into the storm drain, many were able to leave on their own.