Sea surprise as dolphins make a splash during rescue bid

Redcar RNLI had some unexpected company during a rescue mission

Sea-faring volunteers from Redcar's Royal National Lifeboat Institution were racing to the aid of a stricken fishing boat yesterday when a dozen dolphins made a surprise appearance.

The Redcar lifeboat Leicester Challenge 111 had been scrambled after the small vessel was stranded four miles off Redcar after its engine stalled.

A tow was rigged and the lifeboat was proceeding towards the River tees when the dolphins appeared alongside the lifeboat.

The dolphins played in the bow wave of the lifeboat for several minutes before disappearing.

RNLI helmsman Mike Picknett said; ‘We were settling in for a slow tow towards the Tees to put the fishing boat back on its moorings when the dolphins appeared.

‘We were surrounded by at least a dozen of them, and they stayed with us right up to the wind farm, then they just disappeared.’

Dave Cocks, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Redcar RNLI, said, ‘it’s quite uncanny really, because the same thing happened almost exactly 12 months ago.

‘On 7 August 2015 the lifeboat was called to a broken down fishing boat, we were towing it towards the Tees, and up popped a small pod of dolphins.’