The animal's head and gills were tangled in the cord, rescuers say

Feb 21, 2014 23:56 GMT  ·  By
Shark swimming in Australian waters is rescued after it becomes tangled in an elastic cord
   Shark swimming in Australian waters is rescued after it becomes tangled in an elastic cord

A grey nurse shark would probably not be alive today had it not been for diver Peter Simpson, who spotted it swimming in the waters off the coast of Australia and realized that it was in dire need of help.

At the time when Peter Simpson first laid eyes on the shark, the animal's head and gills were tangled in an elastic cord, Daily Mail reports.

Apparently, the cord was so tightly wrapped around the shark's body that there is little doubt that it would have eventually killed it.

A team of rescuers was assembled, and soon enough the female shark was guided into a plastic artificial enclosure and then brought to the surface with the help of a stretcher.

Once there, vets took care of removing the elastic cord from around its body, and also administered it antibiotics. The animal was then released back into the wild.

Commenting on this rescue, conservationist Rob Townsend said that, “This shark was extremely lucky to be spotted and in turn assisted.”

“However there are many other marine animals that are not so lucky and perish as a direct result of pollution such as drift nets, plastic and indeed ropes in our oceans,” he added.