WATCH: Heartwarming moment locals rescue stranded pilot whale in -20C temperatures

Dozens of social media followers descended on a windswept beach to save the stricken two-ton pilot whale before it died from frostbite.

Surfers, police officers, fisheries officials and firefighters answered the Facebook call as the whale floundered on a remote beach in the biting cold.

Walkers had spotted the adult male pilot whale in trouble on Rainbow Haven Beach in Novia Scotia and, within a short while, up to 100 volunteers were descending to ease the animal back into the deep water.

For many of the impromptu rescue team it meant braving the bone-numbing cold as they ventured out into the shallow seas at low tide so the whale could swim away.

Paddleboarder Todd King described how he arrived late for the rescue, with many of the team having spent up to an hour in the sub zero cold before he led the disorientated whale back to the deeps. 

Off-duty firefighter and former commercial diver Annette Thompson and fellow rescuer Ben Hawkins had kept loyally by the whale’s side in the water, but rather than heading out to sea it kept following them back to the shore.

Finally, the whale started to follow Mr King on his paddleboard, allowing him to guide the animal out to the open the sea.

Mr King told CBC Radio: “Most of the time, I was at risk of hitting the whale with my paddle – that's how close he was. 

“As we paddled along, he got stronger and stronger. 

“The whale just rolled on his side and looked me in the eye.” 

Once the whale was about two kilometres from shore, it headed off, with the rescuers willing the creature to find its pod.

Firefighter Thompson explained how rescuing the whale was like dealing with one of her dogs.

She said: “We righted him several times. 

“Ben and I stayed with him as long as we could. 

“Unfortunately, he kept following us to shore. 

“I kept saying to him, 'you can't come home with me, you have to go back,' and he'd just look at you and you could hear him breathe. 

“It was just absolutely amazing.”

Newsreel footage shows how the rescuers used flotation pontoons and a waterproof mat to ferry the lumbering whale into the surf while a small group of rescuers then continued to guide it towards deeper water.

The rescue was masterminded by Andrew Reid of the Marine Animal Response Society who explained how a call to arms on Facebook saw scores of people offering their help.

He said: “The number of people that came out was great and everyone was willing to work together and give this animal its best chance. 

“We definitely had more than enough people to pull it. 

“I had to ask people to slow down when we were initially pulling it off the beach because we were practically jogging with the animal.”

It is likely the whale had become stranded attempting to navigate through offshore sandbars. 

“There are hopes it will be reunited with pod of up to 50 other whales.

Reid added: “After the animal was refloated and left the area, we went up the coast and talked to a few people who saw the animal swimming by, heading out to deeper water. 

“As far as we know he left the area and can hopefully find its pod or another pod again.”