Drowning Kangaroo Rescued by Rosebud Police Officers in Australia

Two Australian police officers jumped into the sea to rescue a drowning kangaroo.

Sgts. Christopher Russo and Kirby Tonkin responded to numerous calls that a kangaroo was in the water in the Mornington Peninsula area, south of Melbourne, on Oct. 27, according to Belinda Batty of the Rosebud Police.

“The kangaroo had made it back to the beach upon their arrival and had been covered in a blanket by a member of the public,” Batty said.

But as the officers were monitoring the animal, “it decided to turn around and hop back into the surf.”

“It began to swim but got into difficulty in the swell and breaking waves,” she said, adding that the kangaroo went underwater several times and began to drown.

The officers dragged the unconscious animal out of the water and performed CPR in an effort to resuscitate the animal.

The kangaroo is now recovering after the dramatic rescue.

Sgt. Tonkin said it was a “good feeling,” according to the Herald Sun, adding, “Every life is worth saving and we just did what we could.”

The kangaroo was wrapped in blankets and taken to Rosebud Police Station, where it was assessed by a local Wildlife Centre.

“We will let him recover at his own pace but he has a paddock full of grass and lots of water to drink and he seems very happy with that,” said Michelle Thomas, director of the local Animalia Wildlife Shelter, according to the Herald Sun.

Local resident Mia Grant saw the kangaroo bounce across the road toward the beach. “I saw him swimming and started filming but he suddenly got caught in the backwash of the waves so we got him out and waited for police,” she said, according to the report.

Back in the Surf

For some reason the animal became frightened and bolted back into the sea.

“He had less than a minute ... he went under and as he came up you could see foam coming out of his nose. He was drowning,” Sgt. Russo said.

“I grabbed his tail and Kirby cradled his head and dragged him onto the beach and cleared his lungs to get the water out of him. Then we just started to push on his chest and he started breathing again and I could feel a heartbeat,” said Russo.

Grant was full of praise for what the officers did. “You see a lot of bad things and to see someone so instantaneously race in after an animal gives you faith in humanity,” she said.

Officers took the marsupial to the local police station.

“The roo is currently being cared for but is said to be in good spirits and lucky to be alive given the amount of saltwater he inhaled,” Batty said.

The animal is recovering in a shelter.