A FULL-scale rescue involving lifeboat, coastguard, fire crews and divers ended sadly on Doniford beach on Sunday when a six-foot stranded dolphin died despite all efforts to save it.

An early-morning dog-walker spotted the dolphin, washed 200ft up the beach by the high tide, and dialled 999.

This brought Watchet Coastguard and Williton Fire and Rescue to the scene, plus a Minehead lifeboat on exercise in the area and members of the British Divers’ Marine Life Rescue.

Coastguard station officer Mike Champion said: “We used salvage sheets to lift the dolphin gently down the beach and back into the water.

“But it had obviously been stranded for some hours and was in a very bad state. There was nothing anyone could do to save it.”

He added: “It was a good example of great teamwork, several agencies all working together. But I have been to several dolphin strandings and, sadly, there is rarely a happy ending.”