NORTH PORT — Charlotte County aviators assisted in finding an injured woman and rescuing a trapped manatee over the past week.
The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office highlighted the Aviation Unit’s efforts for mutual aid to neighboring jurisdictions in a Thursday press release.
The CCSO Aviation Unit was called out to North Port on Nov. 6 to find a woman who reportedly fell and hit her head, leading to her exhibiting “erratic behavior.”
The woman allegedly ran into a “heavily wooded lot” and first responders were unable to locate her from the ground, according to the press release.
“Using thermal imaging, the CCSO Aviation Unit was able to pinpoint her location and relay that to responders on the ground,” the release read. “The woman was safely extracted and taken to a local hospital for medical care.”
Two days later, the Aviation United provided aid to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) when an eight-foot manatee was trapped in a canal.
According to authorities, the female manatee had gotten into a closed canal system during flooding related to Hurricane Milton and could not leave after floodwater receded.