TURTLE TRAPPED IN DEADLY PLASTICS WHILE SWIMMING GETS HERO RESCUE <br />WITH PIX AND VID<br />By Shuk Yee Tsang<br />A sea turtle tangled in plastic waste has been saved from near-certain death after a quick-thinking sailor jumped into the Atlantic Ocean to cut it free.<br />The footage shows Felix Hackenberg, a skipper and sailing instructor from Germany, while crossing the Atlantic from Mallorca to the Caribbean. <br />Felix and his crew were near Lanzarote in the Canary Islands when they spotted a white plastic bag floating beside what looked like a turtle. <br />At first, it wasn’t clear that the animal was trapped until both the turtle and the debris started drifting together.<br />He explains that while he’s seen plenty of marine life affected by pollution, this was his first encounter with a turtle entangled in waste.<br />Driven by a lifelong passion for the ocean, he jumped ready in to help. <br />Felix explained, “I love nature, and the reason I sacrificed a well-paid corporate job to sail around the world is because of it, <br />"We have to protect and love it! Helping an animal in distress or picking up garbage is a no-brainer for me.<br />“I stopped the boat and turned around to have a look, <br /> “When I got in the water with my goggles, I could see the plastic was caught around its neck.<br />"It was probably really scared, but it was the right thing to do because the plastic was wrapped around its neck and fins.<br />"I was only able to catch it because it was moving so slowly with the bag around it.<br />“I’m sure this turtle would have met a different fate in a couple of days or weeks "<br />He urged the public in tips to avoid this, and he said: “Try to avoid using single-use plastic, <br />“This would not have happened with cardboard or paper.”<br />"Hopefully, this guy will have a long, long life.<br />"And guys, please remember never to touch a sea turtle or come close to them.<br />"And of course, it goes without saying, don’t put any plastic trash in here."<br />END
