Manatee beaches in Fort Pierce, gets assist from Coast Guard, FWC

FORT PIERCE — A female manatee that got stranded Friday on a sandbar in Fort Pierce was helped back into the water by state and federal officials.

The 9.5-foot mammal was rescued Friday afternoon by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Local residents had called the wildlife commission to report seeing the stranded animal, according to the Coast Guard.

Biologists with the FWC conducted a health assessment of the manatee and deemed her healthy. She was helped back into the water rather than taken to a rehabilitation center.

"She likely was resting to get away from males attempting to mate with her, but the tide change left her fully beached," said Amber Howell, a marine mammal biologist with the FWC, in a Facebook post Friday.

The Coast Guard helped the biologists get the manatee back in the water, Coast Guard officials said. Residents and visitors are reminded to never move a stranded manatee back into the water.

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Manatees strand for a reason and need to be evaluated to see if they need rehabilitation, according to the Coast Guard. People are asked to call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission hotline at (888) 404-3922 to report dead, injured or stranded marine mammals.

Keith Burbank is TCPalm's watchdog reporter covering Martin County. He can be reached at keith.burbank@tcpalm.com and at 720-288-6882.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Manatee beaches in Fort Pierce, gets assist from Coast Guard, FWC