Divers save endangered loggerhead
By: ROCHELLE KILLINGBECK, of the Post and Courier Staff
Originally Published on: 4/06/97
Divers rescued a 650-pound endangered sea turtle trapped underwater near Folly Beach early Saturday just moments before its breath ran out.
The loggerhead turtle, which had its neck and a flipper caught in a chain attached to a buoy, was rescued by five divers about 9 a.m. Saturday, said Charleston County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad Chief Rick Metzler.
It took nearly three hours for the drivers to cut a link in a chain, free the turtle, and re-attach the chain with a shackle, a Coast Guard official said.
The turtle thrashed around for a while when it was approached by divers from the Rescue Squad, James Island Public Safety Department, and the Charleston County Sheriff's Office, Metzler said.
``The shell looked like the roof of a car,'' Metzler said. ``We had EMS stand by in case anybody was injured.''
The only reported injuries were a few scrapes and bruises the chain made on the turtle's neck and flippers, he said. However, a Department of Natural Resources official said the injuries were minor and would heal on their own, he said.
``It was life or death for the turtle,'' Metzler said
A ship captain notified the U.S. Coast Guard that a turtle was trapped in the chain, just below the water, about 8:30 a.m., Metzler said.
The turtle was freed about a half-mile off shore near the Sol Legare boat landing on Folly Beach.
It was the third buoy near the confluence of the Folly and Stono rivers, Metzler said.
The divers were not able to maneuver the large sea animal, which they nick-named Molly, or move the chain, which was attached to a 1,000-pound counterweight.
The Coast Guard allowed the divers to cut a link in the chain with a large bolt-cutter, similar to the Jaws of Life, Metzler said.
The rescuers learned that loggerhead turtles are amazing animals, according to a Department of Natural Resources marine biologist. They can dive up to 2,000 feet in 18 to 25 minutes, then resurface in about 10 minutes.
