Off-Duty Wildlife Officer in Florida Rescues Loggerhead Turtle Caught in Fishing Trap

Liz Lyne and her friends were planning to snorkel and do an eco-tour of the waters around the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. They were even doing a beach cleanup on Long Key.

That all changed when they had to complete a rescue mission and set a trapped sea turtle free.

The group spotted a loggerhead turtle entangled in a fishing trap. Lucky for that turtle, Lieutenant Liz Lyne is a 20-year veteran of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and she knew exactly how to release the turtle.

Liz leaned out of the boat to properly assist the turtle without doing further damage.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, loggerhead turtles are considered a “federally designated threatened” species and are protected by local and national laws.

This turtle was estimated to be about 150 pounds and likely would have died without human intervention.

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