This story could have gone badly, instead it has a happy ending! Many sea turtles die each year from entanglement and ingesting plastic bags, bottles, straws, can rings, and even balloons.
The turtle in this tale, is again swimming freely thanks to the Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Lifeguards. They untangled the animal from a line attached to a jet ski buoy. James Briggs, one of the lifeguards, said he saw splashing and saw the buoy disappear. He then knew that most likely something was tangled in the line.
Ocean Rescue responded to the scene to lead the rescue mission and ensure everyone’s safety, including the turtles.
“A hundred fifty to 200-pound sea turtle, two to three foot seas, murky water with near zero visibility, said Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue Lt. Mathew Parnass. “I had to worry about the safety of the lifeguards. We had a large animal attached to a rope, so we as a group had two goals in mind, free the turtle and maintain safety for these guys.”
The three men jumped into action and worked together to free the struggling turtle.
“I just went out after them,” said Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Lifeguard Istvan Csendes. “They were the first two in the water to give him a hand because it wasn’t an easy mission just because visibility was almost zero and this turtle basically, I think, is scared from us as well, so he tried to stay under or away from us as much as possible. Every once in a while, he popped up for air.”
The turtle was anxious, so the guards waited until the animal was tired before attempting to untangle it.
Once the turtle was subdued, one of the men cut the line and then the crew proceeded to bring her to shore where they removed all of the line. After checking her out and making sure she was good to go, she was released.
The lifeguards said they treated this rescue like any other mission.
“Our numerous rescues with people and the public, this was just the same you know? It’s something that needed help, that was going to drown or die so, you know you kinda still get the same feeling no matter what you’re saving,” said Engle.
It’s turtle nesting season and one of the guards said the animal was probably a female waiting until dark before coming to shore to lay her eggs. That’s common in Florida. The turtles arrive a little early and wait until the sun goes down before making their way to the beach. Unfortunately, for this old gal, she had a mishap. Luckily the lifeguards were there to save her.
