Sara is a young turtle, about 12 years old. It was only a week ago she started eating on her own, gobbling up some squid. Once that happened, Moretti said, "we knew it was time for her to go back home."

[....]

The staff at the Turtle Hospital sees many accidental injuries, "animals tied up in fishing line or hit by a boat," Moretti said. "When we see something like this, intentional, it's rare."
It's even rarer for a turtle to survive and recover so quickly from the kind of damage Sara suffered.

Under a beautiful blue September morning sky, Sara was released near the Seven Mile Bridge in Marathon. For the volunteers, the doctors, and Moretti, this was the kind of day that makes them smile.