North Shore lifeguard rescues sea turtle tangled in fishing line at Waimea Bay

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A North Shore city lifeguard helped save a Hawaiian green sea turtle Wednesday at Waimea Bay.

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About 50 yards offshore fronting the lifeguard tower, a large honu was stuck in a fisherman’s line with multiple hooks. The fisherman feared cutting the line would cause more damage, so Colin Steinberger, a lifeguard with six years at the Honolulu Ocean Safety Division, took action.

“I grabbed it first and it pulled and it broke free and twisted,” Steinberger said.

Two divers joined the effort, and the honu ended up 250 yards away by jump rock.

“So I grabbed it we swim to the surface to let it breathe and I start kicking it back to shore and it’s fighting me,” said Steinberger.

“One of the other boys put his arms under my arms and together we both swam it to shore,” he added.

That’s where the fisherman grabbed it.

“He got the hook out and he got it completely untangled and they sent it back on their way,” Steinberger said.

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Steinberger said the effort took 20 to 30 minutes and it was exhausting. He said during wildlife emergencies, they call NOAA or DLNR, but for safety reasons they had to act immediately.

“Everybody was kind of clapping on the beach, oh thank you and my immediate thought was this is going to end up on social media,” said Steinberger.

Matisse Conn-Parent witnessed the rescue.

“Oh my gosh, they were so relieved. Everyone was really stressed. Looking at the shore and then gathering around to see if they could help unhook it, but the lifeguard was amazing. He was out there. He was not going to give up,” Conn-Parent said.

Wildlife officials advise the public to always call the NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline at (888) 256-9840 for guidance or to report marine animal emergencies for sea turtles, monk seals, dolphins, and whales.

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LINK: Tips for fishing around sea turtles