Entangled whale freed of gear off Island of Hawaii

A humpback whale was freed Tuesday after it was found in a life-threatening entanglement of rope, with a bundle of gear and two buoys attached.

The whale was freed off of Kona near the Kona Airport, in the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.The whale was first seen late Monday. On Tuesday, after another sighting, a team responded and cut the entangling line, removing the buoys and about 100 feet of line and netting. Responders on the vessel used a hooked knife on the end of a 30- pole to get close enough to cut the line.