CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — A manatee was released into the wild with the help of Florida's First Lady and her daughter.
Toast the manatee was rescued at Kings Bay near Three Sisters Springs in January after suffering from a natural buoyancy problem.
Toast was taken to SeaWorld Orlando's rescue and rehabilitation facility before being able to be released on Thursday, according to a news release by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.
First Lady Casey DeSantis and Mamie DeSantis joined officials from the commission and SeaWorld on Thursday.
“It was a joy to be a part of this release and to see a rehabilitated manatee be returned to his home, happy and healthy,” she said.
At the release, DeSantis helped officials conduct a final medical evaluation of the manatee before he went back into the water.
Florida manatees face numerous threats including watercraft strikes, cold stress, red tide, entanglement, entrapment and habitat loss, according to the commission.
The state had a record 1,100 manatee deaths in 2021, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission data. The state had 800 manatee deaths in 2022, followed by 518 in 2023. As of April 27, 216 manatees have died this year.