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Dolphins ‘alert’ rescue crew to lost swimmer stranded at sea for 12 hours

A swimmer who was lost for nearly 12 hours off the Irish coast owes his life to a pod of dolphins. The intelligent sea creatures attract the attention of rescuers, who eventually locate and rescue the tired guy!

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A few days ago, a rescue party from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) received unexpected assistance in the hunt for a missing swimmer from a school of dolphins. Though the man was lost for 12 hours, he survived and was discovered by volunteers surrounded by a small group of bottlenose dolphins, according to the BBC.

At about 20:30, the volunteer lifeboat crew from Fenit RNLI observed a pod of dolphins with their heads above water approximately two and a half miles off Castlegregory beach, rescuers said. “The casualty was conscious and was quickly rescued aboard the lifeboat and transported to Fenit Harbour for treatment.”

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The man, who declined to provide his name, stated to the rescue crew that he intended to swim to a small rocky island five miles off the shore where his clothes were first spotted. After hours of noticing the man’s abandoned clothes, a few beachgoers informed the authorities, and the search began.

Despite being lost at sea for an extended period of time, the man was just “hypothermic and fatigued,” but he is expected to recover shortly. According to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, this dolphin species has been observed off the Irish coast just since 2019, the BBC reported.

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On the other hand, rescuers stated that this man was extremely fortunate to be recovered alive. Additionally, they increase awareness for those who wander into the sea by informing others about it.

“When we noticed him, there were a number of dolphins nearby,” RNLI spokesperson Finbarr O’Connell told local media.

“Perhaps they assisted him in some way: who knows?! However, this was an extremely fortunate individual.”