Tiny sea turtles rescued from Florida storm drains
Firefighters and Turtle Times, Inc. rescued 14 sea turtle hatchlings from two storm drains near a Bonita Springs beach club.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
1 min read
Fourteen sea turtle hatchlings got a bucket ride back toward freedom after they were found trapped in storm drains at a Florida condominium, according to the Bonita Springs Fire District.
The fire district said on social media that the baby turtles had dropped into two storm drains near the Mediterra Beach Club in Bonita Springs.
Firefighters teamed up with personnel from Turtle Times, Inc., a wildlife rescue group, to retrieve the hatchlings, fire district spokeswoman Nicole Hornberger told the Naples Daily News.
Hornberger said all 14 turtles were safely removed from the drains. The tiny reptiles were then placed in buckets and helped continue their trip toward the Gulf of Mexico, according to the fire district.
The call was an unusual one for local crews, Hornberger told the newspaper.
“Around this time of year, we get a lot of ducklings in drains, but we haven't had a lot of sea turtles,” Hornberger told the Naples Daily News. “But this was close to the beach.”
The Bonita Springs Fire District shared the rescue on Instagram, where it credited Turtle Times, Inc. for helping with the delicate job.
The district did not report any injuries to the hatchlings.
This story draws on original reporting from UPI.