Successful rescue

Huge operation for dolphin rescue near Lignano

A complex operation saved the frightened animal's life.(Bild: Feuerwehr Lignano)

There was great excitement in the Friulian seaside resort of Lignano Sabbiadoro on Sunday afternoon: fire crews spent over six hours trying to rescue a confused dolphin.

The animal was stuck in the shallow waters of the lagoon. An attentive cyclist spotted the marine mammal and alerted the fire department, as reported by local media.

With the combined efforts of veterinarians and staff from the WWF Miramare Marine Protected Area (Trieste) as well as experts from Padua and Slovenia, the emergency services were able to reach the mammal, which was lying in almost 30 centimetres of water. The dolphin was stuck in the mud with one fin and could not move - the water was too shallow.

The firefighters struggled for several hours until they were able to lift the dolphin onto a floating stretcher:

All's well that ends well
After several examinations, it was finally time to breathe a sigh of relief: in the presence of veterinarians, the firefighters transported the stretcher with the dolphin into the open sea. There, the lucky animal was released back into the wild.