During a routine morning patrol, some members of the Sri Lankan naval force noticed an elephant caught in currents miles from the shore and immediately got into action.

Naval officers spotted the elephant eight miles off the coast; it was struggling to survive and could barely keep its trunk above water level to breath. Divers tied ropes to the elephant and, with the help of two additional boats, gently hauled the big beast back to safety. The entire mission took 12 hours.

An officer said that it was normal for elephants to swim some distances but that they tired easily and that salt water was not good for their skin. The elephant has been released into the wild. Spokesperson Chaminda Walakuluge called it a “miraculous escape”.