Nearly 20 manatees were saved after they got stuck in a storm drain on a barrier island off Florida, thanks to rescuers who worked tirelessly Monday night to free them, the Associated Press reported.
Rescuers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Satellite Beach Fire and Police Departments used earth-moving equipment to reach and free the 19 manatees from the storm drain in the island's Satellite Beach neighborhood, officials said Tuesday morning.
Manatees, marine mammals that love to explore, often swim into storm drains, according to ABC News. But they sometimes get stuck because the drains become narrower, marine biologist Ann Spellman of the Fish and Wildlife Commission told the station.
The mammals, which are unable to swim backwards, risk drowning if the drain fills with rain water.
After the manatees were rescued, city officials placed grates in front of the storm drain's entrance to prevent others from getting stuck, ABC News reported.
SeaWorld reportedly returned the manatees to the Indian River Lagoon System.
