Dolphin Stranded
Dolphin stranded under
bridge
By JILL HARMACINSKI STAFF WRITER
SALEM – Concerned neighbors dialed 911. An off-duty firefighter donned a survival suit. And harbormasters from two cities raced into action. But in the end, nothing could save a starving, white-sided dolphin stranded under the Beverly Salem Bridge yesterday morning. "There’s really not much we could do for him, so we put him to sleep," said James Rice, a senior biologist from the New England Aquarium who made an emergency visit to Salem.
White-sided dolphins are not unusual in this area, but they are known to travel in large groups, known as pods, and typically stay out to sea. So just before 8 a.m., when a solitary dolphin was spotted alone near shallow water, it was not a good sign. "He may have come in as a last ditch effort … maybe to find something to eat or find other dolphins of his species," Rice said.
Police said several neighbors from Ames and Hubon streets, near the bridge, called for help after they spotted the dolphin stranded in the mud on the Salem side of the bridge.
Off-duty Beverly firefighter Brian Tamilio, who owns a nearby business, donned a bright yellow survival suit and jumped into the shallow water under the bridge.
Meanwhile, local harbormasters Peter Gifford from Salem and Dan McPherson from Beverly responded by boat. Off-duty Beverly fire Capt. James Maggiacomo, Tamilio’s buddy, also paddled around the dolphin in a wooden skiff.
After gently coaxing the dolphin back into the water, Tamilio held the l00-pound mammal for more than two hours in the 38-degree water. At 9:30 a.m., the Aquarium’s Marine Rescue Unit arrived in a white animal ambulance. Shortly after, Rice said, they decided to euthanize the dolphin. He was a year old.
Tamilio said he was disappointed but glad the animal didn’t have to suffer any longer. "They put him out of his misery," he said "I just tried to keep him comfortable until the professionals came." Rice said the dolphin was ”not healthy" and was emaciated. An autopsy will be conducted to see how the dolphin died. The cause may have been a respiratory infection or stomach blockage. Loneliness may also have been a factor, Rice said. Like humans, he said, white-sided dolphins are social animals that depend on others in their species for survival.
Posted on March 18th, 2005 by Administrator in North Shore
