Bluffton Township Fire District
A dolphin known as “Lucky” is back in open water after a dramatic rescue Saturday that brought together marine mammal experts, firefighters, and local residents in Bluffton, South Carolina.
The nearly 8-foot-long female dolphin, familiar to University of South Carolina Beaufort researchers who track area dolphins, was discovered stranded in a shallow tidal lagoon in the Hampton Lake community on July 12. Recognized by her distinctive markings, Lucky is believed to have swum into the lagoon through a culvert from the May River during high tides and heavy rains earlier in the week. When the tide receded, she became trapped in water just two to three feet deep.
A passerby noticed the dolphin in distress and alerted a neighbor who contacted the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network (LMMN), the federally authorized responder for marine mammal strandings in South Carolina. LMMN received the call at 12:15 p.m. and deployed a team from Charleston, including Executive Director Lauren Rust, Tracy Kowalczyk, John Kane, and Bluffton-based volunteer Amber Kuehn…