Rare rescue: 6-foot sturgeon released to Savannah River

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – There was a rare rescue in south Augusta after a 6-foot sturgeon got stuck in Spirit Creek.

Sturgeons are an ancient group of fish that date back to the age of the dinosaurs and they can live to be 150 years old.

On Friday, the Department of Natural Resources set the sturgeon free.

“I had to drop everything I was doing. I called some contacts from UGA with their sturgeon lab for them to come up and assist us,” said Aaron Gray, a fisheries biologist for DNR.

The Atlantic Sturgeon finished laying her eggs in the Savannah River, but while she was leaving, she got stuck in Spirit Creek.

“The fish came in when we had some heavy rain in the area, and once the way was receded the sturgeon was stuck over the bridge,” said Gray.

Once Gray got the tip about the sturgeon being stuck, he jumped into gear. Saving her was a seven-man job.

“It took for nets to corral and finally capture the sturgeon. Once we had it in hand, the University of Georgia group got measurement and data from the fish,” said Gray.

It was a delicate process to get her out of the creek and took about an hour. It took another 30 minutes to get her back to the Savannah River.

“Had to temper the water in the tank for about half an hour to make the river condition,” he said.

Matching the river conditions kept the sturgeon from going into shock and to be safe in her home again.

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