Volunteers from the National Sea Rescue Society (SNSM) carry out a public service role, but on Tuesday, the Agde volunteers were called upon by the Vias municipal police to carry out an unusual rescue: a dolphin had become stranded on one of the beaches.
As soon as the operation was launched, the crew enlisted the necessary assistance of representatives from the marine protected area (Renaud Dupuy de la Grandrive and Marine Lange), who were taken aboard the patrol boat SNS 211 to travel to the area, where a rubber dinghy was launched.
Two people on the beach tried to get the dolphin moving again, but to no avail, which meant that the team of lifeguards from the SNSM in Agde had to place it on a folding stretcher, load it onto an inflatable dinghy, and then release it back into the open sea off the coast of the seaside resort.
It’s not the first time
This sort of incident is not unprecedented, as dolphins – which normally live in pairs – can sometimes become disoriented for all sorts of reasons and lose their bearings. Let’s hope that today’s dolphin quickly finds its way back to its pair so it can return to a normal life. It is worth noting that assisting this type of marine mammal requires specialist knowledge and precautions, both from a health perspective – as the animal may be carrying a virus – and from a practical one: “These are wild animals, and therefore not accustomed to being cared for by humans,” observes Teddy Perrin, communications officer for the SNSM in Agde, who adds: "We must thank everyone involved in this rescue operation – the SNSM, the Vias municipal police, the marine protected area and the people on the beach – for saving our seafaring friend."
Recently, firefighters from SDIS 34 rescued dolphins that had become stranded on a beach in Sète.