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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Beached minke whale dies despite rescue effort in North Berwick | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A stranded whale in East Lothian has died after a huge rescue effort failed to save its life. | |
| The 15ft (4.5m) minke whale was found by the coastguard at North Berwick's east beach, near the harbour, at 09:00. | |
| The waves were too strong for the whale to be refloated out to sea and it was in poor health. | |
| RNLI volunteers, who spent hours in freezing conditions keeping its blow hole clear of water, said nothing more could be done. | RNLI volunteers, who spent hours in freezing conditions keeping its blow hole clear of water, said nothing more could be done. |
| The volunteers were in dry suits trying to keep the whale upright so it could breathe as it was lying in the surf. | The volunteers were in dry suits trying to keep the whale upright so it could breathe as it was lying in the surf. |
| The team were not able to wear gloves because they can damage whales. | The team were not able to wear gloves because they can damage whales. |
| Just as vets were about to put the whale down it died of natural causes. | |
| Inflated pontoons | Inflated pontoons |
| John McCarter, a North Berwick Lifeboat crew member, told the BBC Scotland news website: "This is the first time we have had a whale stranded in North Berwick for a while. | John McCarter, a North Berwick Lifeboat crew member, told the BBC Scotland news website: "This is the first time we have had a whale stranded in North Berwick for a while. |
| "The size of the surf today meant it was impossible to get inflated pontoons out, which is what we would normally do to refloat a whale. | "The size of the surf today meant it was impossible to get inflated pontoons out, which is what we would normally do to refloat a whale. |
| "The team were in the water with the whale because they were trying to keep its blow hole clear of water so it could breathe." | "The team were in the water with the whale because they were trying to keep its blow hole clear of water so it could breathe." |
| Ali Jack, Scottish director of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, told the BBC Scotland news website that a post mortem would be conducted on the whale on Wednesday. |