Beached porpoise in coast rescue

Advertisement

The porpoise was eventually carried out to sea

A porpoise was rescued by the residents of a small Isle of Man village after getting lost in shallow waters.

The mammal was spotted "flailing about" on the beach at Derbyhaven as the tide was going out on Tuesday afternoon.

Passers-by and a number of people from a nearby golf course helped cover the porpoise with sea water before efforts were made to guide it back out to sea.

"He did get distressed a bit and he had cut his tail fin very slightly," said witness Irene Corrin.

Mrs Corrin was driving along the coast road with her husband, John, when he "noticed something flailing on the sand".

"So we stopped and came down and we found the porpoise - it seemed very distressed," she added.

One man, Joe O'Brien, took off his fleece and carried the porpoise out into the water, where it swam away - only to later return to the shallows.

A tarpaulin was eventually found that allowed those gathered to carry the porpoise out into deeper water.