Nassau Firefighters Help Save Beached Baby Whales

On Friday evening, the Inwood fire department received an unusual call to help save two swimmers in distress: baby whales that had beached themselves in the marsh.

The firefighters got the call at 5 p.m. Two baby whales had beached themselves in the marsh behind 1 Sheridan Blvd. The fire department's Marine Unit left from the Inwood Marina and quickly arrived on the scene. Because the location was so close to the border with New York City, members of the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit had also responded.

When the emergency units arrived, they found the two whales, which had become stuck in the shallow water of the marsh. Officials believe that the two whales swam into the channel during the high tide, and then became stuck during the low tide.

A construction crew, who was working on a nearby site, had climbed into the water and was keeping one of the whales wet. The NYPD officers swam out to the whale and pushed it back into deeper water. The Inwood firefighters helped the second whale get back into the water.

According to the Inwood FD, once the whales were freed, they could be seen chasing schools of small fish through the water. Nassau County Police Department officials notified ocean rescue specialists from Riverhead to come monitor the whales to make sure they didn't beach themselves again.

Photos: Inwood Fire Department