Life Guards, Nature Trust volunteers rescue turtle in distress in Little Armier
The turtle had ingested fishing line coming out of her mouth, which in turn was entangled with a 2-metre-long wooden log
A turtle which swallowed fishing tackle that was stuck to a log was rescued in a difficult operation in rough seas and is being cared for by a vet, Nature Trust Malta said.
The trust said it was contacted about the turtle on Saturday afternoon by the Malta Red Cross.
"Upon arriving on location, it was obvious that the biggest challenge was going to be the sea conditions. The sea was quite rough with high waves. After a short discussion between the lifeguards and our volunteers, one of our volunteers jumped in, with the lifeguards keeping a very close eye on her," Nature Trust said.
"Swimming back in with the turtle proved to be the next hurdle, and here we really want to thank the lifeguards for also jumping in to help our volunteer. Thank you for making sure everyone remained safe."
The turtle, now named Red-X (for the Malta Red Cross), has been transferred to a rehabilitation centre for vet assessment.
She had ingested fishing line coming out of her mouth, which in turn was entangled with a two-metre-long wooden log.
Nature Trust said it had first to determine if there is a fishing hook inside, after which the vet will decide on a treatment plan.