Brave Diver Helps Free a Trapped Pufferfish Who Was Being Held Down by Fishing Weights

Diver Shane Brown of Shangerdanger encountered a wounded pufferfish who had been entangled in a fishing line and held down by sinking weights.

I realized the fishing weights were holding him down trapped on the reef. Who knows how long he’s been down here? I was like I got to rescue him and of course I don’t have my knife… 

Brown did his very best to remove the hook from the fish’s mouth, but unfortunately he was unable to do so due to the possibility of being bitten. A puffer fish can bite through coral, so Shane’s fear was not unwarranted in the least.

I went down and  tried to see if I can grab onto him. I grab the hook I start to try to work it out. It’s barbed so it’s really really difficult. He opens his mouth even wider as if he’s trying to bite me. 

Shane decided that if he couldn’t remove the hook, he could at least disconnect the the weights that were holding the pufferfish down.

I’m like trying to think of what else I could do and then the fishing hook almost hooks on to me we almost end up being two fishies stuck out there and then I start to realize what if I can untie it down here? Then he’ll be swimming around with like 2 ft of fishing line and it’s not that bad. He’ll at least be able to live. So I start to work on it…I finally get it undone and he’s free and then he’s off on his way.