The world's tallest man helped save two dolphins in China by reaching into their stomachs and pulling out harmful plastic they had swallowed, state media said Thursday.

Bao Xishun reaches in to retrieve objects from the stomach of a sick dolphin at an aquarium in Fushun, in China's northern Liaoning province.
(EyePress/Associated Press)

The dolphins got sick after eating plastic from the edge of their pool at an aquarium in Liaoning province.

Veterinarians said they decided to call for help from Bao Xishun, a 7-foot-9-inch herdsman from Inner Mongolia, according to Chinese state media.

Photos from the scene show Bao reaching his arm, which is more than one metre long, inside one of the dolphins, which has a towel wrapped around its jaw so it can't bite.

Chen Lujun, the manager of the Royal Jidi Ocean World aquarium, told the Associated Press that the shape of the dolphins' stomachs made it difficult to push an instrument very far in without hurting the animals.

The dolphins are in "very good condition now," said Chen.

Bao, 54, was confirmed in 2005 by Guinness World Records as the world's tallest living man.

With files from the Associated Press