Stranded in the waters off the coast of Sri Lanka, two young elephants got the rescue of a lifetime Sunday morning after three Fast Attack navy ships, joined by a group of divers and experts from the Trincomalee Wildlife Department, helped them return to land.
The rescue mission unfolded between Sri Lanka’s Round Island and Foul Point, just moments after an inshore patrol craft spotted the struggling elephants during their routine patrol of the area.
Footage shows the efforts of smaller boats approaching the elephants in their attempt to tow them back to land, while larger ships monitored the perimeter in order to keep the area clear of any passing vessels.
"Accordingly, the mammoth effort of the rescue teams saw the two jumbos being carefully directed to the shore without causing any harm to the animals," stated the Sri Lankan navy’s media release. "Having safely guided the two elephants to the shore, they were subsequently released to the Foul Point jungle."
"They were extremely lucky to have been spotted by a patrol craft, which called in several other boats to help with the rescue," officials added.
While elephants are known to swim for short periods of time, it is thought the animals nearly drowned when they were dragged out further while crossing shallow lagoons in the region, according to The Guardian.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time an elephant was swept out to sea. On July 11, the navy also helped rescue an elephant that was found at least five miles offshore near the Sri Lankan town of Kokilai.
