Virginia Fisherman Saves Endangered Whale

Man jumps into ocean with knife to free whale

A Virginia fisherman saved the life of an endangered whale off the coast of Virginia Beach.

Adrian Colaprete was fishing with friends when they spotted the giant mammal. They could tell the whale was in trouble from a distance.

When the fishing boat got closer, they noticed the whale was tangled in fishing line. It was an endangered right whale.

Colaprete put on his snorkel mask and jumped into the ocean with a knife. After a couple swipes, the whale was able to swim away.

"(Colaprete) cut one of the lines and freed him," Pat Foster, the boat's owner, told WAVY-TV. "All the gear went down to the bottom. Whale safely sailed away. Happy ending. Glad to be part of it."

According to the Defenders of Wildlife, 350 North American right whales exist in the wild, the Associated Press reported.

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