Manatee rescued from Florida storm drain

JACKSONVILLE, FL, DECEMBER 2, 2016 -- It took seven hours, but a 9.5-foot long manatee found trapped in a Florida storm drain is now recovering at SeaWorld.

WJXT repots the female manatee is estimated to weigh between 900 and 1000 pounds. The animal was found Wednesday morning by a construction worker paving a nearby street.

Rescue crews, including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department, worked for seven hours, digging up ground around the storm drain and even splitting a pipe to free the animal.

The manatee was transported to SeaWorld in Orlando Wednesday evening to be treated by a team of marine biologists and veterinarians.

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