By Ryan Brennan
Miami Herald
MELBOURNE BEACH, Fla. — City surveyors in Melbourne Beach, Florida, heard chirping from a storm drain on Feb. 9 . Upon further investigation, they discovered a 7-foot, 410-pound manatee trapped underground in a concrete structure.
What followed was a dramatic, hours-long rescue involving firefighters, wildlife officials, university specialists and a private towing company.
| MORE: When firefighters speak up about safety
The surveyors initially thought the sound was rats. Instead, they found a manatee stuck in a “baffle box,” a concrete structure designed to filter pollutants from water before it enters local waterways.
The manatee likely entered the drain pipe during a cold snap, seeking warm water.
Manatees often find refuge in natural springs during cold weather, but many of those springs have either stopped flowing, been cut off by development or been polluted.
The drain pipe likely appeared to provide warmer water for the cold-stressed animal.
Unfortunately, the pipe contained very little water, and the animal could not turn around inside it. Brandi Phillips, branch director for the University of Florida Animal Technical Rescue team, described what likely happened next.
“The manatee likely panicked and kept crawling forward until he hit a dead end,” she said, per National Geographic.
“We’re so lucky that the surveyors were able to locate him, because I don’t think anybody would have ever noticed that he had been down there,” Phillips added.
Getting the manatee out
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) normally handles manatee rescues but wasn’t equipped for this situation. It required specialized equipment, careful coordination and constant monitoring.
The Brevard County Fire Department received a call from the FWC at 2:30 p.m. The rescue team arrived about 30 minutes later.
Ventilation fans were installed to pump fresh air into the drain.
A firefighter descended into the structure using respiratory protection and air quality monitoring equipment — a necessary precaution given the confined and potentially hazardous space.
The firefighter placed a large plastic sheet over the manatee to protect it from falling debris during concrete removal.
After receiving permission from the government, Brevard County Public Works removed 10,000 pounds of concrete to create an opening large enough to extract the animal.
The manatee’s condition
Blake Faucett, marine mammal biologist with FWC and the onsite lead for the rescue, described the animal’s condition at the time of extraction.
“The manatee was alert and moving at the time of rescue, which was encouraging,” Faucett says. “However, he was underweight and had visible wounds. Responders worked carefully to minimize stress and handle him as gently and efficiently as possible.”
A private towing company helped hoist the manatee out of the drain free of charge. Video footage from Fox 35 Orlando shows the moment the manatee was lifted out — a striking scene that captured the scale of the effort.
The manatee was then loaded onto a truck and transported to SeaWorld for care.
Recovery and what comes next
At SeaWorld’s facility, the care team focused on hydrating and warming the manatee while treating cuts and scrapes on the belly and underside, as well as treating an infection.
Staff estimated the manatee to be two years old and named him Melby.
As of 2025, SeaWorld has rescued over 1,000 manatees since the inception of the program in the 1970s, per National Geographic. SeaWorld and FWC will coordinate Melby’s release back into the wild once his health improves.
Reflecting on the effort, Faucett emphasized the significance of the collaborative response.
“The moment the manatee was successfully removed from the culvert was significant. After hours of coordination and effort, seeing him safely secured and transported for care was both a relief and a powerful reminder of what partnership and preparation can accomplish,” Faucett says.
Phillips echoed that sentiment in simpler terms.
“It did take a village to save this manatee,” she says.
From the city surveyors who first heard the chirping, to the firefighters who ventured underground, to the public works crews who removed thousands of pounds of concrete, to the towing company that donated its services, to the wildlife biologists and veterinary teams now nursing Melby back to health — the rescue showed what communities can accomplish when they work together.
Melby is now recovering at SeaWorld, and wildlife officials will coordinate his release back into the wild once his health improves.
Production of this article included the use of AI. It was reviewed and edited by a team of content specialists.
State officials reversed a proposed code update that would have allowed taller apartment buildings with one stairwell, siding with fire marshals who warned the change could endanger residents
North Ridgeville Fire Department partnered with University Hospitals’ Tactical Emergency Casualty Care team for two days of training focused on active shooter and mass-casualty responses
Scruggs Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department Captain Jane Crawford was recognized at the Virginia Fire and Rescue Conference for more than five decades of firefighting and instructor leadership
©2026 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
