Law enforcement must be prepared for anything when they get the call.
But nothing could prepare one man for what he ran into.
And a Florida sheriff’s deputy made one scary rescue he never expected at a beach.
Florida sheriff’s deputy saves rare sunfish stranded on a beach
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is used to responding to rescue calls in the community located on the Atlantic coast of Florida.
But one sheriff’s deputy had to make the strangest rescue of his career.
Deputy Ric Urquhart responded to a call that a Mola Mola, also known as the ocean sunfish, had become stuck in a pool of water after the tide went out on a beach in Ponce Inlet.
The massive fish was in serious danger and was unable to move after it became beached.
Here’s how to free a Mola Mola (ocean sunfish) from a stuck position. Thanks Deputy Urquhart! pic.twitter.com/szORg8tprx
— Volusia Sheriff (@VolusiaSheriff) February 4, 2025
Urquhart tried to tug on the fin of the flat fish that was about the size of a dining room table.
“See, he’s paddling with his bottom fin trying to go forward,” Urquhart stated.
The sheriff’s deputy said the fish’s skin felt like “sandpaper.”
“It’s slimier than you would think,” Urquhart explained. “It’s like sandpaper.”
Urquhart took a rope to move the giant fish.
He managed to spin the fish around and redirect it back toward the Atlantic Ocean.
“He’s still good and alive,” Urquhart said. “What he’s doing in here, I have no idea. Normally, they like to hang out offshore. … It’s like watching a Roomba.”
The Mola Mola righted himself and was able to swing back into the ocean after a helping hand from Deputy Urquhart.
Urquhart was a Volusia County Beach Safety officer before he joined the sheriff’s office in 2023 when a state law put sheriffs in charge of law enforcement on Florida’s beaches.
Rare fish makes it onto the beach
The Mola Mola can weigh up to 5,000 pounds and normally lives in deep water far away from the shoreline.
“They are oddly shaped, commonly described to look like half a fish. They have a round body that is flattened from side to side, two tall fins extending from the top and bottom, and no obvious tail. When swimming upright, these gentle giants are often mistaken for sharks because of the way their dorsal fin rises from the water,” the National Park Service explained.
Mola Mola are the largest bony fish in the world and reach lengths of 10 feet with a height of 14 feet.
Their diet consists of jellyfish, plankton, slaps, squid, algae, and other gelatinous zooplankton.
“Ocean sunfish are found in near-shore oceans all over the globe. On the east coast of North America, they range as far north as Newfoundland, however, they are more common closer to the equator in waters warmer than 54° F,” the National Parks Service explained.
Sheriff’s deputies in Florida respond to calls about alligators, bears, and all sorts of wild animals.
Volusia County deputies got the rare chance to help one of the ocean’s gentle giants make it back to his home.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
