Couple recounts moment they saw dolphin struggling in North Bay Village, leading to rescue

It was a close call for a dolphin in North Bay Village, but thanks to a quick-thinking couple and a fast response from police, the dolphin was able to get immediate help.

The rescue was all caught on camera, and NBC6 on Friday spoke to the couple who spotted the dolphin from their balcony.

The rescue happened in North Bay Village, where the couple spotted the struggling dolphin in the water, and thanks to their quick movements, the dolphin was saved.

And it all started with something unusual in the water.

Ahmed Raul Perez Prieto and his wife noticed a dolphin struggling, so they launched their drone to get a closer look.

That’s when they realized something appeared to be wrapped around the dolphin.

A black line or fishing wire was attached to its body, making it difficult for the dolphin to swim and surface for air.

“In that moment, I realized that something was holding the dolphin down, and with all the weight, it wasn’t able to get up to breathe, and if they can’t go up, there it’s gonna choke,” Perez Prieto said.

Knowing that the dolphin could drown if it couldn’t break free, they called 911.

And while waiting for help, Perez Prieto used his drone to give North Bay Village Police a better view of where the dolphin was in the water.

In the body camera footage, officers were seen heading to rescue the dolphin.

North Bay Village Police officers then entered the water and were able to successfully untangle the rope and a line from its tail.

The animal was seen struggling in the drone video while officers made their way toward it.

Cellphone video then captures the rescue as the police get close enough to help free the dolphin.

“If the cops didn’t show up when they did, if Natalie didn’t notice when she did, the dolphin probably would not have lived,” Perez Prieto said.

For Perez Prieto, who works with drones, having the equipment ready made it possible to help in a moment that mattered.

But he said the best part was watching the animal finally swim free.

“The best part was seeing the dolphin free and that it was alive,” he said.

Perez Prieto hopes the rescue is also a reminder to anyone fishing in the water to be mindful of wildlife and to make sure discarded fishing line or nets don’t put animals in danger.