SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas - Volunteers in Texas have rescued about 4,500 cold-stunned sea turtles from frigid waters this week.
The endangered turtles are among a number of animal species that have been gravely threatened by record-cold temperatures in the state.Sea turtles can become "cold-stunned" when water temperatures drop to about 50 degrees Fahrenheit or below, experts say.
They become comatose as their heart rate drops, losing their ability to swim or even hold their head above water."They are literally stunned.
Despite their instincts telling them to raise their necks and breathe, they literally can’t — and they drown in the water," said Wendy Knight, the executive director of Sea Turtle Inc., a nonprofit rescue group in South.