A scuba diving instructor in Byron Bay, Australia, put his safety on the line when he rescued a grey nurse shark from a fishing net near Julian Rocks on Aug. 16.
In a video that captured the rescue, diver Inaki Aizpun can be seen swimming after the shark several times, trying to remove the large piece of netting caught in its mouth. At times, the shark also appears to struggle to free itself from the net.
The shark faced a slow and painful death if the net remained caught in its mouth, according to Azipun.
After successfully freeing the shark of the deadly encumberance, he is seen celebrating underwater.
Aizpun said he felt it was his duty to help the creature and that he hoped the video would create awareness of the dangers of fishing nets, Storyful reported.
“By preventing ghost gear from entering our oceans, we can also protect industry and communities that depend on our oceans for their livelihood,” she added.