NewsflareA heroic cyclist saved the day by rescuing a lost turtle and returning him safely back to water.
The cyclist, who is named Sennen, found the turtle while he was on a bike ride with his mother.
Realising the little reptile had lost his way, Sennen scooped it into his arms and began his rescue mission.
Watch the heartwarming footage here:
Sennen spotted the turtle close to where he lives on a trail near Lake Elsinore in California, last Thursday (August 2).
The touching footage, presumably captured by Sennen’s mother, showed the cyclist holding the disorientated creature to his body while he pedalled.
Sharing his story online, Sennen wrote:
My mother and I were on a bike ride on some back roads near our house and on a trail I saw a peculiar rock and a trail of sand shuffled behind it, so I slammed on the brakes and turned around as I recognised it as a turtle.
The cyclist picked up the turtle and rode his bike with one hand while keeping the animal tucked cosily in his other arm. Of course, the turtle didn’t need a tiny helmet – he had his shell and Sennen for protection.
NewsflareIn the video, the woman behind the camera can be heard encouraging her son to get the shell-covered creature to safety, saying ‘pedal pedal pedal!’
Possibly wary of the creature’s fear of being handled, Sennen explained he was trying to keep his arm away from the turtle’s head in case it tried to bite him.
The mother described how the turtle was ‘paddling’ – presumably wafting his little legs through the air as he was carried to safety.
He probably hadn’t experienced the sensation of flying through the air on a bike before, and was trying to figure out where the ground had gone.
Sennen’s mother called ‘we’re gonna get you to water!’
The cyclist continued his tale, saying:
Next, we did a quick scan wondering where he came from, but there was no water in sight, so we got on the bikes and rode all the way to the lake as quickly as possible and returned him safely.
The video then cut to show Sennen at the final destination of the rescue mission – the water.
He bent down and released the little reptile, which the rescuers had named Ralph, into the water, as the woman filming issued a friendly warning and said ‘don’t get yourself caught up in trouble again’.
Looking excited to be back in the familiar water-filled environment, the turtle scurried away and submerged itself beneath the surface.
The woman exclaimed her joy at the scene, saying ‘aww look at him how cute, such a happy camper! Bye Ralph, it was nice meeting you!’
She then gave the heroic cyclist the recognition he deserved, saying ‘you did a good job’.
Hopefully the turtle will listen to Sennen’s mother’s advice and not stray too far from home in the future, but if it does, I’m sure Sennen would be more than happy to help out again.
Because he seems like a turtle-y awesome guy. Sorry.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.