MIAMI (WSVN) - A Miami-Dade Police officer came to the rescue of a dolphin trapped in a fishing net.
Video released by the department on Wednesday showed MDPD Marine Patrol Officer Nelson Silva rescuing the dolphin calf near the Shorecrest area last month.
“It was maybe two minutes from where I left the office over to where he was actually at,” said Silva.
He knew he had to act fast to save the dolphin.
“I could see already that he had been struggling for a while. He had cuts and bruises on him,” said Silva.
“Come on, little guy. Come here,” said Silva in the video, as he slowly lured the juvenile dolphin towards the boat to help it. “It’s OK. It’s OK. I got you.”
Silva was able to get some of the netting off of the dolphin before trying again to get the calf closer to help it.
“Grabbed him real tight because I was afraid that if he broke loose and got away from me, he wasn’t going to be able to make it,” said Silva. “I wouldn’t be able to help him out at all.”
The officer then cut the netting off with a pocket knife and even cut himself in the process.
Silva could be heard cheering at the end of the video once the dolphin was released completely from the net.
“It felt good, let me tell ya. It felt really good to help this poor, helpless animal that was struggling to stay alive,” said Silva.
Officials urge residents and visitors to properly throw away fishing lines, as it can be deadly to wildlife.
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