Crews work to rescue manatee and calf in distress in Orange River

LEE COUNTY, Fla. —

Crews with the Lee County Sheriff's Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) are working to rescue a mother and baby manatee in distress in the Orange River in Lee County.

Reporters on the scene say that drones have been going up in the air, and that dive teams are arriving from Port Charlotte.

FWC has reported that more than a dozen dead manatees have been pulled from the Orange River and surrounding areas in recent days. FWC says that the likely cause of death for most of them has been cold stress.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.