A Colorado wildlife rescue began with an unusual rescue vehicle. Firefighters and a police animal protection officer boarded a bright-pink flamingo pedal boat to reach a turtle in trouble.
The July 29 response happened at Waneka Lake in Lafayette when a common snapping turtle had been reported tangled in discarded fishing line.
The crew acted quickly and borrowed the boat from the lake’s rental boathouse. It carried the rescuers to a turtle later estimated to weigh about 15 pounds.
The fire department jokingly called the responders the “Pirates of Waneka Lake” when it posted the video on social media.
Rescuers cross Waneka Lake in a pink flamingo
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The Lafayette CO Fire Department’s official reel shows the flamingo-shaped boat crossing the lake as the team brings the snapping turtle toward shore in a net.
The fishing line is not clearly visible in the footage, but the Lafayette Police Department said in its account of the rescue that the turtle had become entangled in it.
Lafayette Police Chief Brian Rosipajla told Axios Boulder that the crew included two firefighters and an animal control officer. The police department identified its responder as Animal Protection Officer Hettinger.
After the turtle was captured, it was taken to the Colorado Reptile Humane Society for assessment. Police later described the animal as sufficiently “snappy” and said it was released after rescuers confirmed it was uninjured.
Fishing line creates a danger for wildlife
Colorado Parks and Wildlife says common snapping turtles are fairly widespread across eastern Colorado. They live in streams, ponds, lakes and reservoirs, including waterways in urban and suburban areas.
The agency recently urged anglers to pack out their trash and use fishing-line collection stations when available, according to KKTV in Colorado Springs, a CBS affiliate. Improperly discarded line can entangle or trap wildlife, ultimately harming or even killing them.
Waneka Lake Park covers 147 acres and serves as both a recreation area and wildlife refuge. Visitors can help prevent similar rescues by collecting loose line and disposing of it in an appropriate bin.
Anyone who encounters entangled wildlife should contact local animal control or a wildlife rehabilitator rather than attempting to handle a snapping turtle.