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A group of residents banded together to save dozens of dolphins which had become stranded on a beach.

Video of the incredible rescue in Yangxi County, south China , shows the villagers lift the animals off the sand and into netting.

They spent hours on Thursday moving the dolphins back to the sea to save them from overheating and becoming unable to breathe.

Chen Jinliang, from the Marine Surveillance Squad in China, said: "They appeared in the water probably because the seawater quality is quite good here.

"The environment is also quite good," he added.

(Image: CGTN /Youtube) (Image: CGTN /Youtube)

Authorities have increased patrols in the region in a bid to prevent more dolphins from getting stuck on the beaches.

In a nearby village, more than 60 people teamed together to help a small whale back in the water after it became stuck on a beach in October last year.

They spent one hour rescuing the beached mammal.