FLORIDA– – It’s not every day that you come face to face with a black bear, and even less likely to come across one that is in need of help, but that is exactly the situation wildlife biologist, Adam Warwick, found himself in, reports whiskeyriff.

Black bears are the most common species of bear found in the United States, and can reach sizes up to 600 pounds. Even with their impressive size, black bears are quite agile and swift. The are also exceptional climbers and swimmers.

Curious in nature, one bear found himself wandering in a residential area in Florida. Wildlife officers were forced to tranquilize the bear to keep him form hurting himself or others. The tranquilizer sent the bear running for safety, but he ended up ,drugged, in the water.

Warwick immediately knew he had to act to save the bear from drowning. Without hesitation he dove in to the water and swam to rescue the bear, telling Wiskeyriff “It was a spur of the moment decision. I had a lot of adrenaline pumping when I saw the helpless bear in the water dying”

The wildlife officer swam out to the bear, grabbed him and held his head above the water until he could make it to shore.

Both Warwick and the bearmade it to safety, Warwick only suffering a minor scratch. According to whiskeyriff , Warwick and his team then transported the bear back to his home in Osceola National Forest using a tractor bucket.