A 68-year-old resident of Cormorant Island successfully revived an entangled river otter pup using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and CPR after the animal was trapped under a dock in Alert Bay, British Columbia, according to local reports.
The July 28 incident occurred beneath the ’Namgis Dock when three river otter pups became trapped in a discarded fishing net, according to an account provided by Gordon Mellish to CHEK News. Mellish stepped in after his visiting niece and her husband heard animal cries and called him for assistance with cutting tools, according to CHEK News.
The Rescue and CPR Efforts
By the time Mellish arrived at the scene, one otter pup had been submerged beneath the water for approximately five minutes while struggling to keep its head up, according to Mellish’s interview with CHEK News. Alert Bay RCMP credited Mellish with freeing the animals from the netting.
Mellish focused first on the most distressed pup, which showed no vital signs when pulled from the water, according to CHEK News. He performed chest compressions and cleared its airway before delivering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation by covering the animal’s nose, telling CHEK News that foam eventually appeared at the pup’s mouth to indicate the airway had opened.
Mellish then cut the remaining two trapped pups free from the net, allowing them to swim back toward a mother otter waiting nearby, according to CHEK News. During the rescue, one of the otters bit Mellish’s hand and held on for several seconds, prompting a later hospital visit for a tetanus shot.
Rehabilitation and Release
Following medical treatment for his hand, Mellish learned that wildlife workers brought the recovering otter pup to his home for a brief visit before transferring it to the MARS wildlife centre in Merville, according to CHEK News. The animal spent six days receiving care at the facility.
Wildlife teams returned the otter to Alert Bay for release once it was deemed old enough to forage independently, according to CHEK News. Mellish participated in the release, opening the transport crate because the animal recognized his scent, and later learned from a community member that the pup successfully reunited with its mother and siblings, according to CHEK News.
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