THE TAKEAWAY
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – Florida firefighters displayed acts of heroism at the beach on Monday after saving two stranded manatees.
Members of the City of New Smyrna Beach Fire Department responded to a call at Smyrna Dunes Park late at night on Monday regarding two beached manatees along the shore.
In a collective effort, firefighters used a harness to lift and slowly shift the large mammals back into the water.
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According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, adult manatees can weigh anywhere between 1,000 and 3,500 pounds and reach as long as 13 feet.
The incredible video shows one man pulling a harness while the others push the large manatee closer into the ocean, wiggling and moving faster as it inches closer to the sea.
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Eventually, they all get behind the animal to give it one last shove back to freedom into the water.
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"Both manatees were successfully returned to the water and both swam away," the fire department told Storyful News.
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