Overview of the rescue of the stranded giant whale in Nghe An.
•May 25, 2016 14:10
(Baonghean.vn) - After 7 hours of rescue efforts, functional forces and thousands of people in Dien Chau district successfully rescued a stranded whale and returned it to the open sea.
Clip: Lam Son
Clip: Mai Giang
Clip: T.Chung - T.Cuong
At around 5:00 AM on May 25th, several fishermen from Dien Thinh commune (Dien Chau district, Nghe An province), while returning from fishing, discovered a whale stranded on the beach in Hamlet 9.
The fish was about 13 meters long, weighed over 10 tons, had shiny black skin, and numerous scratches on its body.
Immediately after the discovery, many locals arrived and tried to rescue the whale. A large crowd of curious onlookers also gathered to watch.
According to some experienced fishermen, the whale strayed from its course and was carried ashore by the tide. When the tide receded, it became stranded.
Due to the rapidly receding tide, the whale rescue operation faced numerous difficulties. Local authorities mobilized three excavators to dig a channel in the sand, providing water for the whale and creating a waterway to guide it back to the sea.
After creating deep trenches on either side of the whale's body, hundreds of locals rushed in, using whatever tools they could find to bail out water and cool the whale's body.
Three excavators worked urgently due to the hot weather, while more and more people flocked to watch, pushing and shoving, causing the excavated soil and sand to collapse back down.
Around 10:30 AM, a large trench, about 1 meter deep, had formed leading from where the whale lay to the sea surface. By this time, the whale was very tired and no longer moving much. Hundreds of villagers joined forces to push the whale along the trench out to sea.
According to experienced fishermen, after being stranded for a long time, the whale's health deteriorates, and its chances of survival upon returning to the sea are not high.
By 11:30 a.m., three excavators had left the beach. At this point, hundreds of locals joined forces, using ropes and their own strength to push the whale into deeper water.
Border guards set up barriers to prevent curious onlookers from hindering the rescue operation.
At 11:45 AM, after many tireless efforts, the whale, weighing approximately 10 tons, was returned to the sea.
The people of Dien Chau were overjoyed when the whale returned to the sea. In the minds of the fishermen, whales are benevolent friends, affectionately called "Ông Cá" (Mr. Whale).
Observations indicate that after being stranded for over 7 hours, the fish was no longer agile and swam sluggishly when pushed back into the sea. Fishery patrol forces in Nghe An and local residents are closely monitoring the fish to provide assistance if necessary.
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