The Aberdeenshire branch of a marine rescue charity is appealing for donations of masks and gloves so they can continue their work in the region.
The British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) only have a limited amount of personal protective equipment (PPE) to last the whole year.
Medics in the north-east put much of their supplies to use on Monday when they were called out to rescue white-beaked dolphins at a beach in Fraserburgh.
They dedicated hours to keeping the mammals up right and wet on the sand before several attempts at getting them to refloat in the water.
They were assisted by the police, fire service and the coastguard throughout the day, while members of the public kept them going with hot drinks and snacks.
Appeal for PPE donations
Stacey Esson, charity coordinator for Aberdeenshire, said: “We would like to again thank everyone who came out to help at Fraserburgh.
However, we went through a lot of PPE during the rescue to make sure all our members, the other agencies and the public were protected, and now we’re running extremely low.
“The cetaceans we work with can pass zoonotic diseases to humans, so we protect ourselves with gloves and FFP3 masks.
“If there were any companies that would be willing to donate to us for future rescues, that would be a big help.”
Dedicated charity
BDMLR is a UK-wide charity which rescues marine animals, including seals and dolphins, across the country.
Last year, they responded to more than 3,100 call-outs.
The volunteer teams have to maintain their other equipment including life jackets, dolphin stretchers and training supplies, which they also have to continue fundraising for throughout the year.
Anyone who is able to donate can visit the Go Fund Me page, while companies with supplies are asked to get in touch via email to stacey.esson@bdmlr.org.uk
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