An elephant was rescued after it was found swimming more than nine miles off the coast of Sri Lanka.

The creature had been dragged into the open sea by a current, the country's Navy said in a statement.

One of its fast attack craft found it during a routine patrol, the force said, adding that a second craft and a team of divers had been dispatched to the sea off Kokkuthuduwai, Kokilai.

Using ropes the rescue team were able to guide the pachyderm back to shore, the Navy said.

"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," they said in a statement.

"Accordingly, they were able to carefully direct the elephant towards the coast from the deep sea, by means of ropes.

"Having safely guided the elephant to the Yan Oya area in Pulmodai, the animal was handed over to the wildlife officials for onward action."

Tea and sympathy in the heart of Sri Lanka Show all 6 1 /6 Tea and sympathy in the heart of Sri Lanka Tea and sympathy in the heart of Sri Lanka Tea pickers at work in Kandy, part of Sri Lanka's so-called Cultural Triangle AFP/Getty Images Tea and sympathy in the heart of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka's hills are covered in tea plantations Sophie Lam Tea and sympathy in the heart of Sri Lanka Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was founded in 1975 to protect five injured and orphaned elephants Sophie Lam Tea and sympathy in the heart of Sri Lanka The ancient fortress at Sigiriya was built in the late fifth century on a giant rock outcrop that sprouts 200m skywards from the plains Sophie Lam Tea and sympathy in the heart of Sri Lanka A cave statue at Dambulla Rock Temple Sophie Lam Tea and sympathy in the heart of Sri Lanka Green day: Vil Uyana hotel is set among rice fields, lagoons, mangroves and forest, with the majestic rock in the background Sophie Lam

Avinash Krishnan, of conservation group A Rocha, told The Guardian: "Swimming about 15km from the shore is not unusual for an elephant.