Summerton, SC (WACH)- A rare sea washed up along the shores of Lake Marion near Summerton.
A dead manatee was found along a shore near Camp Bob Cooper in Clarendon County.
Manatees, also known a sea cows, are usually found off the coast of Florida.
They are known to swim off the shores of South Carolina, but never in fresh water.
According to officials with the Department of Natural Resources, the manatee more than likely tried to swim in the brackish waters of the South Carolina Low Country, but got caught in the locks between Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion, where it was trapped.
The manatee was found by a local resident walking along the shore of Lake Marion.
DNR officials later removed the manatee from the shore. DNR spokesperson Brett Witt said the animal died from exposure to the cold water and cold fall weather.
Pictures Courtesy of The Manning Times.
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