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Retired Firefighter Saves Dolphin on Birthday
15 Oct
Summary
- Retired firefighter John Lynch helped rescue a dolphin stranded on a sandbar.
- Neighbors and fishermen assisted in keeping the dolphin wet for six hours.
- The dolphin was successfully released and is active in Matlacha Pass.
A stranded dolphin in Matlacha Pass, Florida, was successfully rescued due to the quick actions of a retired firefighter and community support. John Lynch, a retired firefighter from Cape Coral, was out on his boat for his birthday when he was alerted to the dolphin's plight by a fisherman.
Unable to move the animal alone, Lynch turned to Facebook to gather assistance. Commercial fishermen, charter captains, and other locals responded, forming a team that kept the dolphin wet and covered for approximately six hours. This allowed wildlife officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission time to travel from Charlotte County.
FWC's Marine Mammal Rescue team eventually arrived, assessed the dolphin, tagged it, and released it back into the waters of Matlacha Pass around 5:30 p.m. Satellite tracking conducted by researchers from Brookfield Zoo Chicago's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program and NOAA's John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program confirmed the dolphin is highly active in its home waters, a week after its rescue.
