Stranded seafaring raccoon rescued by police, wildlife officials

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Stranded seafaring raccoon rescued by police, wildlife officials

The Bradenton Herald (Tns) | Wednesday, March 20, 2019 6:56 p.m.

Sarasota Police Department/TNS

A stranded raccoon was rescued in a coordinated operation by the Sarasota (Fla.) Police Department, marine research organization Mote Marine, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and Longboat Key Police Department.

BRADENTON, Fla. — A seafaring Florida raccoon found itself in a predicament Wednesday.

The plucky little land mammal became stranded on a channel marker in Sarasota waters, according to the Sarasota Police Department.

The department’s marine patrol unit received a request for help from Mote Marine Lab workers who noticed the stranded raccoon about 12:15 p.m. while aiding an injured turtle.

#RaccoonRescue It’s the video you’ve been waiting for! Around 12:15pm, @MoteMarineLab was responding to an injured turtle & noticed a raccoon stranded on a channel marker! Our Marine Patrol @MyFWC Mote & Longboat Key PD worked together to capture(twice!)& release the furry friend pic.twitter.com/G8Vf93F691

— SarasotaPD (@SarasotaPD) March 20, 2019

The marine patrol coordinated a rescue effort with Mote Marine, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and Longboat Key Police Department.

The raccoon was scooped off of its perch by a state wildlife official with a fishing net, a video of the dramatic rescue shows.

Then, it jumped ship and had to be re-rescued from the water.

The raccoon was eventually contained in a cooler and released on land.

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