PETA Honors 2 Local Divers Who Recently Saved A Nurse Shark From Certain Death
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Two local divers will receive a Compassionate Action Award from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for saving a nurse shark during one of their recent dives.
Randel Sands and Ron Nash filmed their underwater deed as they freed a 6-foot-long nurse shark that had been entangled in a fishing line off Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.
The men said the shark also had several pounds of weights wrapped around its tail and fin.
Had the men not done what they did, the shark would have likely died from not being able to move.
Here is the video they posted on YouTube on May 7th:
Here is what PETA says about their good deed:
"On May 7, the men were exploring underwater when they came across the shark, who seemed to be dug in under a reef. They quickly realized that she was stuck and, approaching her from the rear, began untangling the line from around her body. "There was a moment where she was looking at me with her eye—I believe she knew I wanted to help her," Sands tells PETA. "She lay perfectly still as we searched for the line and worked to untangle her. Not for a second did she struggle or try to get away." Only once the men had freed her did she swim off into the distance."
"The kindness and quick thinking of these two men meant the difference between life and a prolonged death for this trapped shark," says PETA Vice President Colleen O'Brien. "PETA hopes this story will inspire people to do the right thing for animals in need, whether they have fur, feathers, or fins."
Sands is planning on starting a committee to raise awareness of the harmful effects of careless fishing practices.
PETA said both men will receive a framed certificate, a letter of congratulations, and a box of vegan cookies for their good deed.
