Beachgoers and Fishermen Come to the Rescue of Enormous Beached Whale (VIDEO)

Beachgoers and fishermen saved a 65-foot whale during a three-hour rescue mission after it was beached off the coast of Chile. Surfers started the operation to aid the distressed whale by rocking it back and forth in order to help it catch the waves out to sea. According to the video, eventually fishermen tied several thick ropes around the whale and pulled it back.

The fishermen were alerted to the drama by Naval officers and members of the police force at the beach of Iquique, on Chile’s northern coast. According to the Daily Mail,  Marine Rescue Centre “Kaitieki” and the local fisherman teamed up with their towing boats to drag the colossal marine mammal out about five kilometers, where the whale was cut free from the ropes and left to swim off into the sea. Rescuers and beachgoers cheered with delight when the whale was was spotted swimming out into the ocean on its own.

What an incredible rescue!