As they watched her roll her massive body over onto her back, they knew time was running out faster for the trapped manatee than they thought.
The 1,000 pound creature had managed to wriggle its 9-feet long body into a 36-inch drainage pipe and was now trapped in the confined space. No one knows how long the sea cow had been there before a Floridian construction worker, Deidra Gibson, who was surveying the unpaved road, spotted the manatee through the gaps in the storm drain grate.
She immediately called the Fish And Wildlife Commission, who sped to the scene within the hour.
The crew began digging through the asphalt and deep into the compact earth, sawing away at pieces of the pipe in their race against time. Half way through the rescue, the manatee rolled over onto her back, signaling she was reaching defeat. The clock was ticking.
As time continued to tick by, the initial few curious bystanders had expanded to a hoard of people holding signs and offering their support to the crew and fatigued manatee.
"It was wonderful seeing the whole community come together," says local resident, Bizzy Wimberley. "lots of family stopping by and spending their afternoon cheering on the manatee that was stuck in the pipe."
It took the team five hours before they were finally able to free the her. As they lifted her to safety, a roar of applauds and cheers erupted from the relieved crowd. After a quick evaluation, they found that she only had a few minor scrapes on her nose, sides and back.
She was then transported to SeaWorld for a thorough exam and will remain there until she's fully recovered. She will then be released back into the wilderness where she belongs.
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