Two Risso’s Dolphins off Orange County California
One of the most magical moments on the water can be experienced when you encounter dolphins swimming next to your boat. For one Santa Ana family, it was a beautiful encounter, until one of the dolphins actually jumped into their 21-foot Boston Whaler.
Chrissie Frickman was boating along with her husband, Dirk, and their 12 and 16-year old children last week when a pod of dolphins swam alongside them, jumping in and out of the water as dolphins do. One of the animals jumped on the vessel, knocking Chrissie Frickman over and landing across her legs, breaking her ankles the Orange County Register reported. Her husband pulled her out from under the 350-pound dolphin and notified authorities by phone as he headed towards the harbor, telling them that he was “coming in fast” and to look for his boat at the mouth of the harbor. As he steered the boat, he also splashed water on the 350-pound dolphin to keep it alive as it thrashed around and bled from cuts it received on the dramatic entry.
Once ashore, Dirk had some help to pull the dolphin onto a dock with a rope and then releasing it back into the water safely. “The dolphin was hopefully saved,” Frickman said. “It swam away with no problem.” Chrissie no doubt headed for the hospital for her injuries as well.
Harbor Patrol Sgt. DJ Haldeman confirmed the incident. He said sea lions have been known to jump aboard boats before, but that this is the first he’s heard of a dolphin doing the same.