Sarasota police officer saves nearly 100 sea turtle hatchlings

SARASOTA – Sarasota police Officer Derek Conley is likely used to rounding up suspects, but over the weekend he had to round up baby turtles.

According to police, Conley, 38, was on patrol when he saw the hatchlings walking toward the front door of the Lido Beach Resort, 700 Ben Franklin Drive in Sarasota.

“They were coming into the front door, into the hotel itself,” Conley told a news conference this afternoon. He said he supposed since it was dark the lights inside the hotel were attracting them.

A visitor alerted Conley to more turtles in the parking lot. He said he had a “moment of indecision” after seeing all the hatchlings.

“You’re not really expecting to see anything like this ... and you don’t necessarily know what to do,” he said, “but common sense kind of kicked in for all of us.”