Rescuers to use air cushions in latest effort to save stranded whale

Rescuers plan to use air cushions in the latest attempt to free a humpback whale that has been stranded off Germany's northern coast for weeks.The whale, nicknamed Timmy by local media, was first spotted in the Baltic Sea, far from its natural habitat, at the beginning of March and is currently stuck in a shallow coastal area off the island of Poel.A private company plans to refloat the injured mammal from the sea floor by its flippers and onto a tarp attached to a tug boat, officials said.The state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania described this as a "minimally invasive" approach - but wildlife experts said any interventions carried considerable risk after previous rescue attempts failed.They had concluded the chance of survival was very low. However, the German state's environment minister Till Backhaus said a reassessment had found a less intrusive approach.The air cushions - not unlike inflatable arm bands - will pull the ailing whale back to the surface, where it can be dragged around Denmark's coastline and into the North Sea - and possibly further on to the Atlantic.The injured whale is still showing signs of life but is severely weakened, the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania said."The prognosis remains critical. But a chance of survival cannot be completely ruled out," Backhaus said.