Dolphins die in mass stranding

A major rescue operation was launched after a pod of around 15 striped dolphins swam up the Percuil River near Falmouth, Cornwall, before they were beached in Porth Creek.

It is understood that the distress calls from those dolphins attracted many more into the river and a rescue effort was led by British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) with the coastguard and local wildlife trusts.

The rescuers managed to save seven of the stranded animals and the last two were taken out to deep water in stretchers attached to boats. The coastguard said by the time the boats left a pod of up to 60 dolphins were following them.

Volunteers are still working at the river to check there are no more beached or distressed animals, but it is understood all have now been moved to safer waters.

A spokeswoman for the RNLI said: "We are coming to the end of the rescue operation now, the last two are being taken out to sea.

"There are a lot of dolphins still in and around the river but they have managed to stop any going up towards the creek."

The scene was described as "carnage" by the first lifeboat crew to arrive. Helmsman Dave Nicoll said many of the dolphins were already dead, with others struggling in the shallow waters or on the river edge.

The carcasses of the dead animals were removed from the creek and logged by volunteers from Cornwall Wildlife Trust before being taken away for post-mortem examination.

Tony Woodley, national spokesman for BDMLR, said this was the biggest mass stranding of marine life for 27 years.