A group of friends who went exploring in a nearly empty Sarasota Bay during the strange "reverse storm surge" effect of Hurricane Irma helped save two stranded manatees, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune is reporting.

The five friends posted pictures about the manatees on Facebook and noted they had tried to contact officials to save them to no avail.

The post flew around Facebook and caught the attention of the right people. Officials from both Sarasota County and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials helped get the manatees into deeper water, the Herald-Tribune reported.