Spotting a dolphin cruise through the lineup is a sight to behold. They’re extremely interesting creatures that we constantly find ourselves relating to.
Last week, sea kayak tour guide Naude Dreyer, of Pelican Point kayaking, spotted a young male Benguela dolphin on the beach while leading a trip along Walvis Bay, Namibia on Africa’s southwest coast. Unsure how the dolphin even got there, Dreyer quickly assessed the animal, carried him back into the water, and tried to get him swimming again. His quick actions saved its life. And the outpouring of support may help his daughter stricken with a rare form of cancer.
As TIME reported, though many animal rescue organizations warn that it is best to wait for authorities when an animal is found stranded like this one, Dreyer decided that this dilemma couldn’t wait. Initially, Dreyer wasn’t sure if the young dolphin would make it, but once he got him into the water, he responded quickly. “I was not very hopeful, but as soon as he got into water and realized where he was he took off like a bullet,” he said.
Nina is currently receiving treatment for a rare form of cancer.
The young dolphin is safe now, but many beached animals end up beaching themselves again after being saved. Dreyer wrote, “I’ll do a drive past the same area again later just to make sure he hasn’t returned again.”
Pelican Point kayaking had included the following in their facebook post, when addressing the event: “Possible proceeds from this clip will be donated to Red Cross Children’s hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, where Dreyer’s 5-year-old daughter is currently receiving treatment for cancer.”
Dreyer, who has three children, had said that his family wanted to make it through his daughter Nina’s treatment without financial help but the year-long treatment has proven too much and the family is now accepting financial assistance. The dolphin rescue–apparently not Dreyer’s first animal save–is bringing attention to the family’s plight.
Said Dreyer: “My real hero here is my little 5-year-old daughter Nina. She (was) diagnosed with Stage 3 Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma on June 01, 2015. It is a rare childhood cancer, she had a tumor in her bum which we found totally by chance in May 2015.” (This is the family’s crowd-funding page).
Proof that we really are all in this thing called life together.
