Despite weighing a tiny fraction of the creature's massive bulk, a determined Pinellas County deputy leaped into shallow water to save a manatee struggling to breathe.

Cradling it in her arms for over an hour so it could get enough oxygen, Jill Constant saved the animal from becoming a victim of toxic red tide.

An officer from the Marine and Environmental Lands Unit, Constant has received many calls from concerned residents along the Intracoastal Waterway in southwest Florida who don't understand subtle nuances of manatee behavior.

"It is normal for manatees to swim into culverts, or for groups to thrash around in shallow water and partially beach themselves during mating season," Constant said.

This time though, the concerned resident had every reason for being so, and Constant didn't waste a minute longer after arriving on scene in her boat.

"This manatee is going to die right in front of us and I'm not letting that happen! We docked the boat, I took off my equipment, and got in," Constant said in a June 20 news release. "We stayed in the water for two hours holding its head up until it could be rescued."

According to the release, the manatee was trying to beach itself on the rocks, unable to keep its own head above water to breathe. It was believed to be suffering from toxic exposure to red tide, an algal bloom that can cause a sickness akin to poisoning in manatees.

The irony of a terrestrial mammal leaping into the water to help an aquatic mammal breathe was that the manatee, who quickly grew agitated with Deputy Constant holding its head, began to try and drown her.

Despite fearing she would drown, the thrashing at least informed Constant that the beast was recovering its strength and would soon be able to swim itself to a cleaner, safer environment.

Florida is famous for its manatees, or sea cows, who are not shy of boats or people, and float with remarkable grace through the water feeding on seagrass. Record numbers of manatees have been swimming upriver to warmer freshwater springs to retreat from cold water.

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