When naval workers saw this desperate creature, their routine patrol became a fight for survival. When a group of sailors spotted a desperate creature struggling in the middle of the ocean, they couldn't believe what they were seeing. However, they abandoned their disbelief to help the distressed animal, and their herculean efforts turned into a mammoth rescuemission. In July 2017, the Sri Lankan Navy was conducting a routine patrol off the coast of Kokalai in the northeast of the country. The operation involved one of the forces fast attack craft, and while the vessel had no reason to strike during its mission, it did seize a mansion. As the craft was patrolling the waters, its crew suddenly noticed something flailing around in the water. With their curiosity peaked, the men headed for a closer look. That's when they realized there was a struggling creature in desperate need of their help. More over the animal in question, was it a whale or a dolphin? Nor was it a porpoise or even a turtle? Incredible as it sounds, it was, in fact, an elephant. Somehow the pack of derm had found itself nine miles off the coast and appeared to be struggling to keep a float. Something that a life could be at stake, the naval squadron abandoned its patrol to help the creature out. To help them do so, officials back at the base dispatched another vessel to the scene. Staff also contacted the country's Department of Wildlife who sent a team to help with the rescue mission. However, saving the elephant's life would not be easy. First, Navy personnel needed to somehow capture the distressed animal. To do so, they inched their boat as close as was safely possible to the animal. Then they sent out a team of divers to tie ropes around the elephant. However, fixing the lines to the animal was not straightforward. In some amazing footage of the rescue, one diver could be seen trying to clamor onto the elephant's back, only to be thrown off into the ocean. But the fearless rescuer perseveres, and after a while he succeeds in tying his cord around the elephant's neck. With the animal now safely secured, the rescue team proceeds to fasten the ropes to one of the Navy vessels. Finally, they carefully tow the elephant back to shore. All in all the noble mission took 12 hours to complete. Indeed, by the time the crew arrived back on dry land, night had fallen. Once they reached shallow waters, the rescue team subsequently set the elephant free. No one knows how exactly the animal landed itself in such a predicament, but some believe a strong current might have dragged it out to sea. Following its successful rescue efforts, the Sri Lankan Navy released a statement on the incident. A group of officials from the Department of Wildlife also joined this humongous task, providing necessary instruction which became extremely vital in the rescue mission, it said. Accordingly, they were able to carefully direct the elephant towards the coast from the deep sea by means of ropes, the statement continued. Having safely guided the elephant to the Yanoya area in Volmedia, the animal was handed over to the wildlife officials for onward action. However, while the rescue mission might have seemed extraordinary, it's actually not that unusual for elephants to take a dip. Ivan Ash Krishman works as a research officer for conservation organization Arrocha. According to him, swimming is in the animal's nature. Speaking about elephants in an interview with the Guardian in July of 2017, Krishman said they're very good swimmers, swimming about 9 miles for shore is not unusual for an elephant. Moreover, in footage for the rescue, the packer nerve can be seen poking its trunk above the surface of the water. This is because elephants can use their trunks as snorkels when swimming. And thanks to their unique lung structure, the animals can withstand the differences of pressure below and above the water. Interestingly, elephants also have some water dwelling causes, as the species they're closely related to manatees and two cons. Furthermore, biologists have theorized that the packer nerves might have first come to Sri Lanka by swimming there from southern India. However, despite their proficiency in water, Krishman said that the baby were right to step in on his own age. They can't keep swimming for long because they've worn a lot of energy that they've explained, and the saltwater isn't with those people. So in this case, the situation probably warranted new intervention. As a matter of fact, officials believe that this particular elephant was probably swept into the ocean, when crossing Kokolai Lagoon. You see, the body of water lies between the two areas of jungle, so it's possible the animal was simply trying to reach the other side when it came into trouble. Indeed, due to the geography of their habitat, Asian elephants often travel short distances via water. In the Anaman Islands, an archipelago between India and Myanmar, researchers have observed elephants swimming before smaller landforms. Consequently, Navy spokesman Chiminda Wala Kulsh believes the elephant they rescued was simply trying to cross the water when it found itself in mortal peril. They usually wade through shallow waters or even swim across to take a shortcut, he said, it's a miraculous escape for the elephant. Following their epic rescue, naval officers nicknamed the elephant they saved, Jumbo. Then once they transferred it to the Yanoya area, they handed over care of the creature to wildlife officials. Hopefully, Jumbo managed to keep its feet on dry land for some time there, before heading off on its next adventure. Please share this video with your friends below.