At 08h08, Thursday, 28 July, NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) were alerted by an eye-witness of 2 dolphins beached at Sandy Bay, near to Llandudno, and both dolphins were alive and appeared to be in distress.
David Rosenberg, NSRI Bakoven deputy station commander, said:
TMNP (Table Mountain National Parks) rangers, SPCA Inspectors, and City of Cape Town Marine Animal Stranding Network (CTMASN) were activated.
NSRI Hout Bay duty crew and NSRI Bakoven duty crew were placed on alert.
During initial assessments by authorities, it was deemed possible to transport the dolphins out to sea in the hopes of releasing them at sea or to swim the dolphins through the surf in the hopes to coral them out to sea.
NSRI Bakoven duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Gemini Legend and NSRI Bakoven and NSRI Hout Bay rescue swimmers responded to the scene.
The services on the scene carried the dolphins into the surf, using specialised stretchers, where the dolphins were floated. They were apart at that stage and the members that were on the scene, in a joint effort, brought the 2 dolphins together by carrying them to a suitable place in the shallow surf where they floated together.
NSRI rescue swimmers, from NSRI Hout Bay and NSRI Bakoven, assisted by a Marine and Coastal Management officer, corralled both of the dolphins through the surf line, swimming them to deeper water, and at the backline breakers the dolphins were released in deeper water.
Our NSRI Bakoven rescue craft, Gemini Legend, followed the dolphins for a while, they headed in the direction of Hout Bay.
The dolphins appear to be healthy and swimming strongly.
While we are cautiously optimistic that the rescue has been successful the coastline will continue to be monitored over the next few days but hopes remain that the dolphins do not beach again.
Base Showcase: Station 16 (Strandfontein)
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