IT was a busy weekend for BARB Search & Rescue and Burnham Coastguard Rescue Team, with their members called out to reports of wildlife in distress.

On Saturday (March 13), BARB responded at 12.07pm to reports of a dolphin being stranded on the beach at Brean.

BARB commented: "After consulting with HM Coastguard and Brean’s beachwarden, BARB sent several of its trained Marine Mammal Medics to the beach.

"A beach walker had come across a two-metre-long dolphin on the tideline and alerted the beachwarden, who in turn had called out BARB.

"The dolphin sadly had suffered several injuries to its body and, after a full check, the team confirmed it was deceased.

"This creature was one of the largest dolphins we have seen washed up along this stretch of coastline for several years."

Burnham and Highbridge Weekly News:

SAD SCENE: The deceased dolphin on Brean beach (pic: BARB)

The following day, at 11.13am, Burnham Coastguards were called out to help a couple with an injured dog on Brean Down.

They received a 999 call from a person who had just left the National Trust site and was concerned for the welfare of a dog, which was said to have a broken leg - meaning the couple faced a long walk off the Down carrying it.

Coastguard members who responded to the call-out encountered other dog walkers who confirmed that they had seen the couple carrying the injured dog leaving the area.

While on the site, the rescue team encountered multiple other dog users whose animals were running around off the lead.

A Coastguard statement said: "A safety warning was issued to them - we explained why we were there and what the consequences of dogs falling from the side are.

"Please keep your dogs on leads on high ground, the injuries sustained by dogs could be life-changing or life-ending.

"Sadly that is the grim reality of dogs that fall from the sides.

"There are many places dogs can be off lead to roam free but high ground such as Brean Down is not one of them."