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Dolphin rescued and brought to safety after struggling off Dublin’s Sandymount Strand
A dolphin has been rescued and brought to safety after it got into difficulty near Sandymount Strand in Dublin earlier on Sunday morning.
The alarm was raised on Sunday morning when passersby noticed the dolphin appeared to be in distress, and was struggling in the water due to lower tides.
It is possible the dolphin swam in when the tide was higher, and got into difficulty when the tide started to go out again shortly after 8am.
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – Sunday,April 26
The animal was brought back to safety in a joint effort involving The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), the Irish Coast Guard and members of the public.
It was taken from the shallower waters of Sandymount Strand and brought out to the nearby Sandycove beach, where it was returned to the water and was able to swim away.
A call was placed to the IWDG live stranding hotline, and a team has gone out to the water to help the animal get back to deeper waters.
“Loads of people were on Sandymount Strand this morning and could see the dolphin struggling,” an eyewitness, Mary, told the Irish Independent.
“There was a team from the Dolphin and Whale Group, and the plan is to bring the dolphin to deep waters.
“I could see the dolphin struggling, just kind of flapping around the place, so I called the live stranding hotline.”
The IWDG and Irish Coast Guard were contacted for comment.