A swimmer stranded in the ocean for almost 12 hours is alive thanks to a clever group of dolphins.
On August 22, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) was alerted about a missing man after his clothes were spotted on beach in Scotland, BBC reports.
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The RNLI and coastguard teams carried out a search into Sunday night. The following day, rescue teams spotted a pod of bottlenose dolphins swimming around a man clinging on to his life.
Fenit RNLI's Gerard O'Donnell told the outlet that they had been “scanning the water for any sign of movement and were worried with light fading that they would not find anyone.”
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At 8:30 pm, the frightening ordeal came to a miraculous ending.
“The volunteer lifeboat crew with Fenit RNLI spotted a pod of dolphins and a head above the water about two-and-a-half miles off Castlegregory beach," the RNLI said. "The casualty was conscious and immediately recovered onto the lifeboat and brought to Fenit Harbour to be taken to hospital."
The man was identified to be in his 30s from County Londonderry. Once he was recovered, he was “hypothermic and exhausted,” and only wearing a swimsuit, People reports.
He told rescuers that he had been trying to swim out to Mucklaghmore Rock, over five miles from the beach he departed from.
According to BBC, dolphins have been seen off the Irish coast since 2019. Known for their incredible intelligence and playful behavior, the animals are highly social and often travel in groups.
They swim and hunt together, teaching each other tricks for catching food. According to the Smithsonian, the most common pod is generally a group of mothers with their calves, but dolphins have reportedly gathered in groups of up to 1,000.
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