A STRANDED dolphin was rescued by volunteers, including TV broadcaster Monty Halls, in dramatic scenes at Old Mill Creek last week.

The dolphin was stuck, its blowhole in the mud, at the creek near Dartmouth last Wednesday evening, January 26. Its pod was spotted swimming close by, keeping an eye on their mate.

TV Broadcaster and marine biologist Monty Halls lives above the creek. He and a group of British Divers Marine Life Rescue volunteers waded into the mud to save the animal and move it to safety.

Monty said: "By the time we got there one dolphin was clearly in distress, stranded and lying on its side with its blowhole in the mud. That was the moment we decided to head into the creek to right it, then re-float it using the British Divers Marine Life Rescue stretcher. Having lived above the creek for ten years we knew the exact route, and there was genuinely never any danger for the team on the mud.”

Dart RNLI’s D class lifeboat was tasked by the Coastguard and launched at 5.30pm following reports of people in the water at Old Mill Creek. The crew stood by while the volunteers freed the dolphin and then took it down river to release it into deeper water.

Monty added: “The volunteers from British Divers Marine Life Rescue were amazing - Gemma, Sarah, Ali, and Hannah - and Dave from Distin Boatyard also played a blinder. But for their actions and their expertise many more of the dolphins would have stranded.

“We were also really grateful that the Coastguard stood by in case we got into difficulties, and of course the lifeboat played a significant part in helping the dolphin out into the main river. I’ll be heading down there tonight with a bottle of whisky to say thanks! All in all, an amazing community effort.”

Monty’s daughter Isla was also a big part of the rescue effort – keeping a searchlight on the team as they worked to free the dolphin.

Monty wrote on Facebook: “Isla came down with me, then stood for two hours training my searchlight onto the rescue team. She was told to go home and warm up but refused point blank. Good on you legend.”

Once released the Dart RNLI lifeboat team worked with the volunteer rescuers to get the dolphin into deeper water, including re-floating it at the mouth of the creek when it stranded again.

A RNLI spokesperson said: “Having established that the swimmers were all out of the water and safe, the lifeboat crew discussed how to proceed with a member of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue team who was with the Coastguard onshore.

“Usually, the rescuers wrap the dolphin in a tarpaulin and then return it to the water. Members of the Dart lifeboat crew had previously worked with the rescue team when they helped to release a humpback whale that had become trapped on two occasions off Blackpool Sands in 2017.

“The volunteer helm decided to use the ambulance pouch on the lifeboat to keep the dolphin alongside the boat but still in the water. The adult dolphin was slowly taken into deeper water and released in the middle of the river. It looked strong when released and swam off powerfully up the river.”