A COMMON dolphin had to be put down after washing up at Northcott on Sunday.

Widemouth Task Force and British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) were involved in trying to rescue the dolphin.

Walkers, who reported the dolphin to BDMLR, used a tarpaulin to move the dolphin to a shallow pool where they kept it calm until the arrival of Widemouth Task Force.

Ado Shorland, a BDMLR medic, who runs Widemouth Task Force, said: “On first inspection we determined it to be a very weak juvenile female, slightly underweight, and could see quite a few wounds on the body and fins, with a breathing rate which was high.

“Senior BDMLR medics arrived and after further checks decided it was too weak for release, so had to be put down.

“Unfortunately the survival rate for cetacean strandings is extremely low. It was a sad end for such a beautiful creature.”

Mr Shorland expressed thanks to the people who found the dolphin and kept her calm and others involved in the rescue, and the medics, for their ‘great teamwork’.