CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Manatee calf tangled in fan belt freed

MARATHON, Fla. (CBS, KYMA) - A wildlife rescue team in the Florida Keys came to the aid of a young manatee in Marathon Friday after it was found with a fan belt tightly wrapped around its body.

The Dolphin Research Center (DRC) said its rescue team carefully monitored the calf and its mother and worked over several hours to safely cut and remove the fan belt from the calf before it became too deeply embedded.

"The successful removal prevented long-term injury and allowed the calf to remain with its mother following the rescue," they said.

Footage released by DRC shows parts of the multi-hour rescue operation and a scar left on the calf's skin after it the belt had been removed.

"This rescue highlights the ongoing dangers marine debris and discarded materials pose to wildlife in Florida waters," DRC said, urging the public to "report distressed marine mammals immediately and to properly dispose of fishing gear, belts, and other materials that can end up in the ocean."