Heroic Florida Residents Help Rescue Manatees Stranded by Irma (PHOTOS)

As Hurricane Irma continues to wreak havoc on the South East of the United States, kind citizens are stepping up to not only help each other but also animals in need. Once such case: Florida residents recently came together to help two stranded manatees. Hurricane Irma pulled water from Sarasota Bay, leaving the two manatees stuck in mud knee-deep with nowhere to go.

Local Floridian, Marcelo Clavejo, was feeling restless because of the storm and happened to check out the bay when he noticed the helpless manatees.

We can only imagine how scared the manatees were… 

A few other local Florida residents, including two Manatee County deputies and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials, came to the rescue and helped place the manatees on a large green tarp to move them closer to deeper water, where they safely swam away.

Marcelo shared photos and video from the rescue and they have since gone viral, with over 75,000 shares and 108,000 “likes” to the post. Heroes!

Amazing to see what happens when people come together for the greater good! For pet disaster planning, be sure to check out these tips. If you happen to come across a dog or cat, or any other animal in need, check out these Animal Rescue Hotlines. You could save a life!

Image source: Marcelo Clavejo/Facebook