Stranded dolphins returned to sea

A team of 18 people battled to save the mother and her calf

A stranded dolphin and her calf have been saved after an eight-hour operation in Cornwall.

The two dolphins were found stranded at Frenchman's Creek on the River Helford on Sunday morning.

Vets, coastguards, volunteers and marine experts from British Divers' Marine Life Rescue worked together to successfully refloat the animals.

It is thought the dolphins may have made a navigational error and then were caught out by the tide.

The dolphins were assessed and tagged before being returned to the sea.

Mass stranding

Peter Bullard, watch manager at Falmouth Coastguard, said: "The dolphins were marked with orange biodegradable tape so if they were to come ashore again in the next few days they would be recognised."

Mystery still surrounds the death of 26 dolphins following a mass stranding in the Fal estuary in June.

Post-mortem examinations found the animals were well fed and showed no obvious signs of disease or poisoning.

Theories for the stranding have included sonar from a Royal Navy vessel, being chased by a killer whale or become stranded after going to the help of members of the pod who may have been in distress.