A manatee mother and her calf were rescued after getting trapped in a canal

A manatee and her calf were trapped in a New Port Richey canal Wednesday, and luckily dozens of residents and rescuers came to their aid.

The manatees were stuck in canals near the Harbor View community, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Lowry Park Zoo and Clearwater Aquarium workers along with dozens of residents helped guide the manatees to an enclosed area and pulled them from the water, according to Bay News 9.

“It was amazing,” Marcia Housman, who lives nearby, told Bay News 9. “I didn’t realize it took that many people to get them out. And happy too that so many people, I guess some of these people are volunteers, and to volunteer to do that — I wish I could do that.”

Housman said the manatees were trapped there for about a week after a barrier was placed there.

FWC officials told Bay News 9 the mother manatee likely came to the area to give birth or bond with her new calf, but there is little food there and she was too large to fit through the culvert system.

When they pulled the manatees from the water the baby appeared healthy, but the mother was injured — likely cut from boat traffic, according to Bay News 9.

The manatees were taken to Lowry Park Zoo for rehab, according to Bay News 9.

This story was originally published May 10, 2017 at 10:03 PM with the headline "A manatee mother and her calf were rescued after getting trapped in a canal."