Some people love swimming in the ocean, but if I’m honest, it’s not something that I enjoy. There are many reasons why. First of all, to swim in the ocean, you often have to cross the sand to get there. And if you’ve been to the beach, you know that once you get sand in your shoes or your car, it’s going to be there forever. Next, once you get to the ocean, it’s unpredictable. There are plants and creatures. Also, there are tides and currents.
Even the strongest swimmers can get caught in the ocean’s tides and currents, and it can be deadly. For instance, a riptide can pull a swimmer away from the shore, making it impossible to swim to safety. Many people in this predicament become exhausted and drown if someone isn’t able to help.
It’s unclear whether it was a riptide, but some current caused one powerful swimmer to get pulled out to sea. The Sri Lankan navy had to step in and perform a daring rescue, one that certainly isn’t very common and requires thoughtful logistical planning.
However, the rescue wasn’t for a person, but for an elephant. Elephants are incredibly strong swimmers that enjoy the water. But in this instance, the animal was probably enjoying a pleasant dip in a lagoon when the current pulled it out to sea. These things happen, and they tend to happen fast. There’s no telling when the waters will turn and go from gentle and calm, to violent and ferocious. And quite honestly, sometimes it’s easy to just not pay attention, or swim out too far and panic. We’re not sure what exactly went wrong for our animal friend, but thankfully there were people looking out for him!
A navy ship approached a large mass, unsure at first of what it was. By the time the men pulled up close to the stranded animal and realized it was an elephant, it was exhausted from swimming. It was clear that this was an emergency situation and the navy literally “jumped in” to help the elephant out of its dangerous predicament.
The rescue process wasn’t simple, and the men quickly understood that they needed help. Reinforcements were called in, and they were able to save the elephant’s life.
Watch the amazing rescue in the video here!
