At some point in our lives, we've all had a moment or two when we've mistaken something for food. Most of the time, we laugh it off and move on, but for one little girl her mistake helped save a life.

We certainly don't come across a story like this one very often which makes it all the more special to share.

A little girl was taking a stroll at Indian Shores Beach in Tampa, Florida when she came across something that looked like a Hot Cheeto partially buried in the sand. As with most children, curiosity got the best of her and she decided to pick it up.

That's when things got interesting.

Upon closer inspection, she realized that the orange object was not a Hot Cheeto at all, it was a Seahorse!

Phew! So glad she didn't pop it into her mouth before taking a second look.

The girl also noticed that the tiny creature seemed to be in distress so she placed it in a bucket full of water and immediately showed it to her mom. Her mom called experts at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium right away so they can help save the sickly seahorse.

Turns out the seahorse was a female lined seahorse with the capability to change colors based on its surroundings. At the time she was found by the little girl, she had turned Cheeto-orange from living in red and orange sponges.

The aquarium nursed the sea animal back to health and released her back into the ocean once she regained her strength and natural hue.

It's truly amazing how a little girl managed to save the life of a seahorse fuelled by her love of food. You can watch Cheeto the lucky Seahorse's amazing survival story in the video below: