Biscayne Bay Dolphin Freed From Net After Couple Dispatches Drone

A dolphin with netting wrapped around its tail was pulled free in Biscayne Bay on Wednesday afternoon after residents of North Bay Village alerted authorities.

Ahmed Raul Perez told 7News, speaking in Spanish, that his wife first noticed the animal from their apartment window. The couple then sent up a drone to inspect the situation from above. The footage showed the dolphin struggling at the surface. "He wasn't swimming right. When I looked closer, I saw he had something on his tail," Perez said. "His tail was underwater and his head was bobbing above the water."

Perez and his wife called 911. Marine Patrol units from North Bay Village and the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office arrived at the scene within minutes. Because the animal was visible only from above the water, Perez used the drone to direct the patrol boats to its position. "The cops were on their boats and you could only see the dolphin from above. I pointed it out with the drone and other neighbors also helped," he said.

Several Marine Patrol members entered the water and cut the netting away from the dolphin's tail. The animal then swam into deeper water. Perez said the outcome moved him. "I got teary eyed, super happy," he said.

Perez said the situation turned critical quickly. "He was sinking, he couldn't keep floating because whatever was holding him down was heavy and it was sinking him. If the police hadn't come, he probably would have died," he said.

North Bay Village officials said the dolphin appears to be uninjured.