Residents and holiday guests in Mylor Bridge banded together on Wednesday to help try and rescue a pod of eight dolphins stranded on the mudflats on the creek.
Eight dolphins became stranded in the shallow waters and the mudflats after swimming up Mylor Creek and becoming stuck when the tide went out.
Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team, British Divers Marine Life Rescue Medics were called to try and get the dolphins out of the mud and back out to sea.
They were joined by residents and holiday guests in Church Road who helped rescue the dolphins by digging them out of mud and taking them back out to sea on paddle boards. They managed to save all but one, a calf, who sadly died.
Posting on Facebook one of the rescuers said: “There was a huge rescue operation by the marine vets, coastguard and local animal rescue charity.
“All the neighbours and holidaymakers provided so much help and equipment. It was quite a traumatic time for those involved unfortunately.
“Whilst it was initially lovely to see the dolphins in the creek they soon became stranded as the tide went out. It was a young, inexperienced pod.”
Falmouth Coastguard Rescue team said they were called to Mylor Creek at 3.15pm on Wednesday, August 23 to the report of a dolphin stranding.
“On scene, eight dolphins were found to be stranded in the shallow water on the mudflats,” they said. “Team members supported British Divers Marine Life Rescue Medics in carrying out their role in successfully getting seven of them to safety. Sadly one didn't survive.
“In incidents like this, we will provide safety cover and general assistance to the Marine Life Rescue Medics who will take the lead.
“In this instance, it's providing both mud and water rescue assistance due to the environment in which the BDMLR medics were working.”
Dr Natalie Arrow, head veterinary consultant for BDMLR, told the BBC: "As we started with a very small team of actual British Divers volunteers they were amazing.
"It was an extremely difficult scene to arrive to.
"Members of the public round here were fantastic.
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"They were coming out of their homes and offering us any assistance that they could and they were really getting stuck in with the rescue."
She added: "Seven of the individuals did make it back out but very sadly one young calf did die.
"It was extremely stressed from the moment it stranded and, regardless of whatever we tried to do to support the calf, very sadly it did pass away."
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