Rescuers frantically work to push distressed 12-metre humpback back out to sea after he became stranded in shallow waters
- Rescuers are working to help push a humpback whale back into the ocean
- The 12-metre whale is stranded on a sandbank at Sawtell on NSW north coast
- Whale is clearly distressed as it continually smacks tail to free itself
Rescuers are working desperately to free a humpback whale that has become stranded at a beach on the New South Wales north coast.
The 12-metre whale has beached itself at Sawtell and is clearly distressed as it continually smashes its tail in attempt to get free.
Surfers spotted the animal at around 7am on Friday morning and a large group of up to 50 locals have gathered to help move the whale during high tide.
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Rescuers are working desperately to free a humpback whale that has become stranded at a beach on the New South Wales north coast
The whale has now washed onto very shallow water as the tide goes out, further complicating the situation
The whale, believed to be one or two years of age, continues to be rolled upside-down by the surf which is making the situation more difficult for rescue attempts and for the mammal to breathe
Surfers spotted the animal at around 7am on Friday morning and a large group of up to 50 locals have gathered to help move the whale during high tide
The 12-metre whale has beached itself at Sawtell and is clearly distressed as it continually smashes its tail in attempt to get free
The whale, believed to be one or two years of age, continues to be rolled upside-down by the surf which is making the situation more difficult for rescue attempts and for the mammal to breathe.
Footage of the creature shows it is stranded in just waist-deep water which further complicates the rescue until the tide goes out.
'It's still gasping for breath you can see the air coming out of every now and then but there's nothing I'd say you can do for it. It's very sad,' an onlooker told the ABC.
The Department of Parks and Wildlife have attended the scene and are helping efforts to free the whale.
A spokesperson said they are confident they will be able to save the humpback and will conduct a health assessment once they have moved it to deeper water.
'We haven't got heat working against us, so we'll be able to look after that whale, even for a couple of days,' Susan Crocetti from NSW Wildlife said.
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