According to a local resident, inhabitants of a community on Cape Breton's west coast put buckets of water over some beached pilot whales and moved in neck-deep water in order to save the mammals after they were stuck on the rocky coasts of St. George's Bay.

According to Linden MacIntyre, a former journalist, the whales were at McKays Point off Shore Road in early Tuesday morning. There were 16 whales.

MacIntyre added that 11 whales survived, whereas five died, together with a small whale and a bigger whale, which was nearly three meters long. On Thursday afternoon, the Fisheries Department reported that 10 whales were left and six had died.

MacIntyre said that it was observed by a resident that the beached whales were present over there and he started calling other people in the region to assist in keeping them alive till the time the tide returned into the beach in St. George's Bay, which is a decommissioned fishing harbour located approximately 35 kilometres north of the Canso Causeway.

According to MacIntyre, "It's quite remarkable ... how quickly the word spread in this little rural community and how enthusiastically people reacted to a bunch of mammals. There was something kind of magical about the spirit on the shore, dealing with these magnificent beasts".

As per MacIntyre, nearly 25 people poured water over the whales, however they remained wet as a result of the rough surf.