Bulldozer rescues manatee stuck in Georgia sand at low tide

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Georgia wildlife officials used a bulldozer to help rescue a manatee that got stuck in sand near Savannah.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources says the large manatee was navigating a manmade shortcut between rivers near Savannah on Oct. 1 when it got stranded at low tide. That’s because the cut is being filled by the Army Corps of Engineers to create wetlands.

The state agency posted video online that shows wildlife workers keeping the manatee wet until a bulldozer plows a trench that allows river water to reach the animal. Workers then roll the manatee onto a stretcher and guide it to deeper water.

Manatees are protected as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. They pass through Georgia waters on their way to Florida for the winter.