A dramatic wildlife rescue in Alert Bay, British Columbia, proved that sometimes it really does take a village to save a life.
Retired logger and fisherman Gordon Mellish first learned that three baby otters had become tangled in a fishing net near the local marina.
After a neighbor alerted him, Mellish hurried over and began carefully cutting the animals free as a small group of people gathered nearby.
Two of the young otters appeared unharmed.
The third wasn’t moving.
Realizing the baby was in serious trouble, Mellish immediately tried to revive her.
“Gave the heart a little pump and nothing was going on, so I grabbed it and picked it up, I wrapped my mouth around its mouth and nose and gave it a breath of life,” Mellish recalled in an interview with CTV News.
Mellish had performed mouth-to-mouth CPR on people numerous times during his years working on the water, but he had never attempted it on an otter.
Fortunately, his efforts worked.
Once the tiny animal began showing signs of life, another member of the community stepped forward to help.
Local resident Robin Quirk created a temporary shelter to protect the recovering otter from the sun and potential predators. She also prepared a comfortable place for her to rest while they sought advice about what to do next.
Getting the baby to professional wildlife rehabilitators wasn’t simple.
The nearest rescue center required both a long drive and a ferry trip, so Quirk cared for the animal overnight before beginning the journey the following day.
The little otter apparently handled the drive surprisingly well.
“You know how if you can’t get your baby to sleep, you take it for a drive?” Quirk said. “Well, the otter slept the whole way.”
Once she reached the wildlife rescue center, the young otter spent about a week receiving professional care.
Then came the moment everyone had hoped for.
After recovering, she was brought back to Alert Bay to be released into the wild. Both Mellish and Quirk were invited to watch as the little survivor returned to the water.
Mellish remembered seeing the otter pause after jumping in.
As he waved goodbye, she appeared to look back and nod her head before swimming away.
Even better news came afterward.
Later sightings suggested that the young otter had successfully reunited with her mother and siblings.
She may even remember Quirk. According to the rescuers, the otter appears to react when Quirk whistles the same little lullaby she used during their trip to the rehabilitation center.
For Mellish, helping the animal was simply the right thing to do.
“A life’s a life no matter what it is,” he said. “Try to do your best to save it.”