Quick-thinking volunteer saves giant octopus stranded on beach

A quickthinking 10-year-old girl saved a stranded giant octopus during a day at the beach with her family. The giant Pacific octopus, thought to be a female, was found “twisting around on a mud flat” in a Washington state park before being safely returned to the ocean. The octopus had been kept alive by the 10-year-old who used her sand bucket to keep the cephalopod wet before help arrived. Park ranger Brandon Hoekstra and Annie England were alerted by the unidentified family visiting the park from Canada before a team of reserve workers headed to the scene. “I wasn’t anticipating finding such an alive, healthy octopus,” Ms England, an environmental educator, said. She added: “She [the girl] was taking water with her little sand bucket, and she was filling it up and she was pouring it on top of the octopus." Watch more from Independent TV: https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/editors-picks Click here to subscribe to The Independent: https://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-Independent About The Independent: Making Change Happen. The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking newsbrand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded. Connect with The Independent: Check out our full video catalog: https://www.youtube.com/c/theindependent/videos Videos, daily editorial and more: http://www.theindy.com Click here to get the best of The Independent daily: https://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Like The Independent on Facebook: https://www.fb.com/TheIndependentOnline Follow The Independent on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Independent Follow The Independent on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.independent Download the iOS & Android app: https://www.independent.co.uk/subscribe/app Help to support truly independent journalism. Every dollar you contribute will directly fund additional special reports and investigations from a free-thinking, award-winning newsroom you can trust - https://www.independent.co.uk/donations Subscribe to Independent Premium for exclusive content & live events: https://bit.ly/2MiOONB