Florida Cop Rescues 90 Wandering Sea Turtle Hatchlings

Sarasota police officers not only serve humans but also serve and protect animals.

On patrol over the weekend, while Officer Derek Conley was stopped at the Lido Beach Resort, he saw sea turtle hatchlings crawling towards the front door. Someone checking into the hotel told him there were more turtles walking in the parking lot.The officer grabbed a cardboard box and collected the hatchlings and, finding even more turtles on the sidewalk and in the middle of the street, Conley stopped traffic to rescue the rest.

After gathering close to 70 hatchlings, Officer Conley and some resort guests took the turtles to the beach and released them successfully in the water.

Upon returning to the resort, twenty more turtles were seen in the parking lot area. The guests and Officer Conley again collected the turtles and made another trip to the beach to bring them to the water’s edge.

Local rescue group, Turtle Watch, was contacted and provided with the details of what happened.

Sea turtles nest at local beaches between May 1 to October 31.

(READ the story from the ABC news)