Beached whale to be put down after multiple failed rescue attempts
A HUMPBACK whale beached on the NSW Mid North Coast will be euthanised after multiple attempts to refloat the 10-tonne mammal failed.
The giant nine-metre-long whale was first spotted stuck in the surf at Sawtell Beach, south of Coffs Harbour, early on Friday morning.
Attempts to rescue the whale failed on Friday and again on Saturday morning, with dangerous surf and heavy rainfall hampering plans to tow the mammal back out to sea.
National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) senior wildlife officer Susan Crocetti said in a statement on Friday that the whale was stuck in the ‘surf zone’ which made it difficult for rescuers to reach the animal.
“We have a highly experienced team of specialists assisting with this response and they are doing everything possible to give this whale the best chance of survival,” she said.
It’s understood rescuers made the difficult heartbreaking decision to euthanise the whale late on Saturday morning after the rescue operation was delayed yet again due to bad weather.
Wildlife experts and vets from the National Parks and Wildlife Service, marine mammal rescue group ORRCA, and Seaworld on the Gold Coast were on the scene caring for and monitoring the whale on Saturday.
FEATURE IMAGE: Karyn Maxfield
WATCH: Kind rescuers rush to rescue beached humpback whale on NSW north coast https://t.co/a0HyJpKT2o #7News pic.twitter.com/jHAcOEra5n
— 7News Yahoo7 (@Y7News) June 9, 2017
#Weather delays whale rescue on NSW coast – https://t.co/2PVhKTfUIK pic.twitter.com/waKCMnjfO2
— prime news (@primenewsau) June 10, 2017
Bystanders watch on as the team at #Sawtell prepare to euthanise the whale. @nbnnews pic.twitter.com/IxoFALWCOa
— Josh Cummings (@jrscummings) June 10, 2017
