NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — The New Smyrna Beach Fire Department assisted in rescuing two manatees stranded on the shore for over eight hours. Following the response, officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reached out to the department to discuss the handling of the animals.
FWC officials explained that stranded manatees should not be touched without the assistance of trained wildlife experts. Commission officers described their conversation with the fire department as productive and stated that they look forward to collaborating on future incidents.
According to a spokesperson with the New Smyrna Beach Fire Department, an FWC volunteer was present on the scene at one point during the stranding but had to leave before firefighters stepped in.
The incident also drew attention from local wildlife advocates regarding the care provided to the animals while they remained on the shore.D enise Anderson, a representative for the Friends of Manatees organization, commented on both the response of the firefighters and the condition of the stranded manatees.
“They [firefighters] should be applauded as heroes,” Anderson said, The manatees were “not being cared for, there’s no canopies on them, there’s not wet towels on them. They’re not having water poured on them, there’s nobody here.”
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