Coast Guard Rescues Entangled Sea Turtle Off Martha's Vineyard
BOSTON (CBS) -- U.S. Coast Guard rescue crews freed an entangled sea turtle found near Nomans Land off Martha's Vineyard on Friday morning.
The Coast Guard received the call shortly after 6 a.m. about a Leatherback turtle caught in a lobster pot.
Crews brought a veterinarian from the Center for Coastal Studies to the turtle before 9 a.m.
In a statement, Chief Petty Officer Gaines Huneycutt says they pulled alongside the turtle, saw the rope wrapped around a flipper and its head.
Once the boat was in position, the vet used a specialized hook to reach the turtle and pull it closer before cutting it free.
The turtle then sway away, he said.