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Back to the sea: Volunteers help turtle find its way home

Volunteers have helped a disoriented 400-pound (180-kilogram) sea turtle make its way back to the ocean off the South Carolina coast.

Hilton Head Island Sea Turtle Protection Project volunteers on Tuesday followed a set of tracks from the surf nearly a mile (1.5 kilometers) behind the sand dunes to the female nesting sea turtle.

Volunteer Leigh West told The Island Packet the turtle was tired from all the walking and was missing a left flipper, which made it hard to move.

Two lifeguards joined the volunteers as they carried and pushed the turtle back to sea.

The volunteers have faced other interesting rescues over the past few years: In 2012, a confused sea turtle was found in a resort swimming pool on Hilton Head.