When the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network received a call about a dolphin trapped in a shallow lagoon tucked inside a South Carolina neighborhood, rescuers could hardly believe it. A dolphin — miles from the ocean — seemed impossible.
But when they arrived, the unbelievable turned out to be true.
“The animal swam up there due to excessive rainfall and high tides,” the organization explained on Instagram. “As the water receded, she became stuck due to shallow water and fallen trees.”
The team quickly partnered with the Bluffton Fire Department, racing to the lagoon where the stranded dolphin lay motionless in muddy water, surrounded by debris. She was exhausted, frightened — and completely cut off from the sea.
Freeing her wouldn’t be easy. The dolphin, weighing around 500 pounds, had to be carefully lifted onto a marine rescue tarp. It took eight rescuers working in perfect coordination to carry her 75 feet from the water’s edge to a waiting trailer.
As they checked her vital signs and examined her for injuries, someone noticed something familiar about her.
“After a quick health check, she was determined to be a 7-foot female known to local researchers at USC Bluffton as Lucky,” the team shared. “She’s regularly seen in the May River.”
The rescuers realized this wasn’t a stranger — it was a local dolphin they’d known and tracked before.
With renewed determination, they began the 2-mile journey to return Lucky to her home waters. Throughout the trip, the team stayed right beside her, gently pouring water over her sleek gray skin to keep her hydrated and calm.
After two long, careful hours, they finally reached the release point — a stretch of deeper water that opened back into the ocean. Working together one last time, the team lifted Lucky off the trailer and carried her toward the tide.
The moment she felt the cool saltwater, Lucky wriggled free and splashed back into the waves, swimming off toward the open sea.
Cheers broke out among the rescuers — tired, soaked, and overjoyed.
They had just brought one of their own home.
The team later shared the heartwarming update online, wishing Lucky a safe journey and long, happy life back where she belongs.
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