Loggerhead Sea turtle rescued from intake pump

A loggerhead sea turtle survived a life-threatening situation, thanks to the quick work of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Lt. Rob Laubenberger and Officer Dale Twist responded to a call of a sea turtle trapped in an intake pump at the Florida Power and Light (FPL) Power Plant in Port.



Rescuing the trapped turtle was no easy task. There is a 15-foot drop to the water's edge within a small, concrete-enclosed compartment. Officers worked closely with FPL plant operators to retrieve the turtle. Using a mechanical rake, normally used to lift trash out of the holding area, officers carefully lifted the sea turtle up to the working platform.




The sea turtle was not hurt. Officers brought the turtle to a waiting FWC patrol vessel, which transported it a couple of miles offshore for a successful release back into the ocean.




"It was a great feeling to end up saving the life of an endangered sea turtle," Laubenberger said. "Usually we respond to calls where the situation is serious. But in this case, a bad scenario had a good outcome."








This loggerhead sea turtle was trapped in an intake pump at the FPL power plant in Port Everglades. Photo credit FWC




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