Mar 10, 2026
In February, responders in Florida successfully rescued a
7-foot, 400-pound manatee that had wiggled his way up a concrete
pipe and became trapped in a stormwater drain under the road. The
unusual rescue made international headlines, but it was all in a
day’s work for Brandi Phillips, the animal technical rescue
specialist who helped lead the effort to extract Melby the
manatee.
Phillips joins us on today’s episode to chat about how the unique
incident unfolded, the challenges of rescuing trapped animals, and
what resources, including NFPA standards, are available to help
guide agencies as they prepare for and respond to these sometimes
tricky incidents.
LINKS
Learn more about
NFPA 2500, Standard for Operations and Training for Technical
Search and Rescue Incidents and Life Safety Rope and Equipment for
Emergency Services.
Read and learn more about the University of Florida’s Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service