MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A large sea turtle was spotted struggling at sea, until good Samaritans saved the day.
A day on the water off Miami Beach led to an unexpected surprise, Wednesday.
“I think it’s a manatee. Oh, my God. It’s an enormous sea turtle stuck,” said Mary Sandro on video.
Sandro was out on her paddle board Wednesday morning in the mid-beach area when she came across a sea turtle stuck at sea.
“And that sea turtle, I mean, cause I’ve only seen one that’s this big [gesturing with her hands], but this thing was enormous,” she said.
As the sea turtle struggled to break loose, she got the attention of a nearby Miami Beach lifeguard on shore.
“It broke my heart because it was stuck on a mooring line,” said Sandro. “Thankfully Matt was there, and when I told him I’m like, ‘I need a sea turtle rescue.'”
So Sandro and Matt the lifeguard got to work to help set the marine animal free.
“So it couldn’t get out and it couldn’t — it was getting its head up for gasps of air,” said Sandro.
After several minutes passed, the rescue mission was successful.
Matt was able to cut the line and the sea turtle in distress made its way back out into the open ocean.
“I felt like, wow. It was special,” said Sandro.
It’s not uncommon to sea turtles up and down the South Florida coast, as nesting season runs through late October.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.