Kerry Sanders is a journalist for NBC who was reporting on the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Florida. On the beach he came across a man carrying a baby dolphin he had found washed up on the pavement around half a mile away.
Discover our latest podcast
Sanders helped the man return the baby dolphin to the sea. After holding the poor disorientated animal for around 15 minutes to allow it to rest, they guided it back into the sea.
But the day wasn't over for Sanders. Around an hour later, he heard of another dolphin that had been stranded further up the beach. He rushed to help the group of volunteers who were already working together to get the animal back in the water.
He instructed the group, 'This is what we’re going to do. We’re not going to pick it up by the dorsal fins or pectoral fins. We’re going to get our arms underneath it and lift it up all together, 1-2-3, and then we're going to walk it out.'
This dolphin was much bigger than the last one and was in a state of panic. The group walked it into the ocean then stopped to let it rest. The strongest swimmers of the group then guided the dolphin further into deeper water.
One of the rescuers described it as a 'surreal, unbelievable' experience whilst another said it was 'an emotional experience'. Kerry Sanders said, 'It was the one good moment people could have amid all the devastation because we actually saw something that could continue life here.'
