Back to the sea: Volunteers help turtle find its way home

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Volunteers have helped a disoriented 400-pound (180-kilogram) sea turtle make its way back to the ocean off the South Carolina coast.

Hilton Head Island Sea Turtle Protection Project volunteers on Tuesday followed a set of tracks from the surf nearly a mile (1.5 kilometres) behind the sand dunes to the female nesting sea turtle.

Volunteer Leigh West told The Island Packet (http://bit.ly/2qwHsxs ) the turtle was tired from all the walking and was missing a left flipper, which made it hard to move.

Two lifeguards joined the volunteers as they carried and pushed the turtle back to sea.