On Wednesday, June 13th, Seabrook Island resident and angler extraordinaire, Stan Ulner, called to report that he had inadvertently caught a sea turtle while fishing in the surf on North Beach. He immediately called Security and the Turtle Patrol for help. By the time Terry Fansler and Sandy MacCoss of the Turtle Patrol arrived, SIPOA Security Officer Eric Jones and the new Beach Patrol were already on the scene and the Beach Patrol had removed the hook from the turtle’s mouth.
The turtle turned out to be a 13 1/2 inch Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle. Both the Beach Patrol and Officer Jones did a great job handling the turtle and the gathering crowd while the Turtle Patrol coordinated with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Terry thoroughly examined the turtle, including opening its mouth to inspect for damage, and communicated with the DNR to clear the release. The turtle made its way back to the ocean as the crowd that had gathered on the beach looked on and cheered.
The Turtle Patrol would like to express its gratitude to Officer Jones and the Beach Patrol for their very professional assistance.
