Sea Tow assists Texas turtle rescue

The recent extreme cold weather in the southern U.S. brought increased danger to some wildlife.

Sea Tow Corpus Christi jumped to help rescue more than 1,000 sea turtles shocked by the freeze, unable to help themselves.

“These turtles don’t have a voice,” said Capt. Brandon Upton, owner of Sea Tow Corpus Christi. “Boaters can easily call us on the phone or radio whenever they break down and need help, but turtles can’t. They needed help and we were able to do what we could to save as many turtles as possible.” 

A team of several Sea Tow captains and volunteers teamed up with staff from Padre Island National Seashore to collect and rescue as many turtles as possible that had been stunned by the recent cold snap.

The help of Sea Tow’s airboat helped the rescue team get into many locations where most boats were unable to go.

The rescued turtles were brought to the Sea Turtle Division of Padres Island National Seashore, where they are working to save and rehab as many of the animals as possible.