CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — A six-foot endangered leatherback turtle has been rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard in Maine.
Crew members on a cutter freed the sea turtle after it became entangled in fishing line about 15 miles off the coast of Cape Elizabeth on Sunday.
They began searching for the entangled turtle after receiving a call from a good Samaritan.
Crew members tell the Portland Press Herald the turtle became frightened and "frantically fought back, flipping through the water." The turtle swam away after members cut the line.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says leatherbacks are the largest turtles in the world and one of the largest living reptiles. They have a thick leathery shell unlike most turtles.z