By NIKKI GOLUB

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The adrenaline of going out to “cover a story” Friday wore off immediately after seeing the beached dolphin and was replaced with a knot in my stomach. Here I was taking pictures of this sick, stressed sea mammal while brave locals and out-of-towners braced with a bucket and some towels did their best to help the dolphin. They had hope.

When Dr. Craig Pelton, a Volusia County veterinarian, and Megan Stolen, a marine biologist arrived at the scene, the crowd cheered.

People were stepping up to help, and to my surprise I found my boss, Nicole Carni, director of the New Smyrna Beach Visitor's Center, in the middle of it all.

Initially, she was just helping with fetching water for the animal. Later, she made sure everyone stayed focused while they handed off the water bucket down the line of locals and visitors. Somehow, Nicole ended up holding up the IV bag and joining the sides of other concerned beachgoers who stayed with the dolphin since he beached himself.

It's days like these that remind you that the world is good. We all watched as the 10-foot Risso’s dolphin left the beach in a SeaWorld just as we stood there with him for nearly five hours before with hope, optimism, and good intention.

It's days like these that remind you that the world is good. We all watched as the 10-foot Risso’s dolphin left the beach in a SeaWorld transport vehicle just as we stood there with him for nearly five hours before with hope, optimism, and good intention.

Editor's Note: Golub is an assistant at the New Smyrna Beach Visitor's Center and a student at Daytona State College. Here are some of the photos she shot of Friday's rescue of the beached Risso's dophin. The sickly sea mammal died the following morning, SeaWorld Orlando officials announced.