Sea Turtle Hit By Boat Rescued From Florida Waterway

click to expand

VERO BEACH (CBSMiami/AP) — A 144-pound sea turtle, which had been struck by a boat and was suffering from a large cut across its shell, was rescued by the Indian River sheriff deputies and firefighters.

The sheriff's department said in a Facebook post that an angler spotted the injured turtle Sunday near the channel marker 130 in the Intracoastal Waterway.

Deputies and firefighters hefted the turtle out of the water with a net and took him to a Vero Beach fire station.

Blaze the turtle (Source: Facebook/Indian River Sheriff's Office)

The turtle since named Blaze was then taken to the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach where it is being cared for.

Center spokeswoman Lauren Eissey says boat strikes appear to have left Blaze with nerve damage, but the center's research team says there's a strong chance he can be returned to the wild.