Bear rescued from drowning in gulf

ORLANDO, Fla., June 29 (UPI) -- Florida officials say they rescued a 375-pound bear from drowning in the Gulf of Mexico.

The large bear had wandered into a neighborhood of the Florida panhandle community of Apalachicola during the weekend when it was hit by a tranquilizer dart shot by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists. But it managed to escape and bolt into the ocean before the sedation went into effect, WKMG-TV in Orlando reported Sunday.

That was when biologist Adam Warwick jumped into the water to keep the bear from drowning. He managed to get the bruin to shore where a backhoe operator helped load it to a truck. The bear was then relocated to Osceola National Forest in Florida.