SQUEALS of joy.

This is the sound Failford resident Brett Ruxton heard following the rescue of a dolphin from sand banks beneath the Forster-Tuncurry Bridge.

Brett spotted the beached animal when driving across the bridge on Sunday morning (August 8) . He had driven across the bridge around 5.30am, but hadn’t seen anything. 

He picked his daughter up for a friend’s place and on the journey back he spotted something that he thought was an abandoned canoe.

Stopping on the bridge to take a look, Brett realised it was not a canoe but a dolphin. He rang the police who came to the scene and called Marine Rescue.

But as Brett continued to watch the animal’s lifeless body, he decided he wanted the animal to have assistance sooner rather than later.

He posted on Facebook at 7.49am asking for help.

“Urgent! Who has a boat? There is a dolphin beached on the sand bar at Tuncurry! Please help urgently it needs to get back in the water!”

But no-one could be of assistance. His attention turned to a boat with two fishermen coming across the water.

Brett leapt into action and shouted for the men to come over to him. 

“They were good guys, they were probably a bit nervous going towards a shouting bloke. But they braved it by coming in,” he said. 

Brett let them know about the dolphin. The fisherman went over and poured water on its body.

“It gave a big flick of its tail.”

The men called out to Brett asking if they should try and get the animal on its way. Brett said yes, and soon the men safely returned the dolphin to the water.

“It didn’t seem upset at all, I think it was squealing for joy.”

Before Brett could thank the fishermen, they were off on their way. Brett posted on Facebook thanking the fisherman with a video of the rescue. The video exploded online with more than 30,000 views, 500 shares and 1300 likes. Brett said comments are coming in from as far the Netherlands. But now he’d like to find the heroes of the story. 

“I wish the other two guys would come forward and let the community give them a bit of thanks. They deserve it. They did a really good job.”