THUNDER BAY — A crew member from Thunder Bay helped to rescue a sea turtle found in distress in the Arabian Sea, off the coast of Oman.
HMCS Calgary is a frigate involved in counter-smuggling patrols in the Arabian Sea since the middle of April.
Thunder Bay-born Sailor First Class Coree Ranville serves on the ship.
The Royal Canadian Navy has just released photos of the rescue, which occurred last month.
After the turtle was spotted struggling helplessly in netting and other debris, Ranville and another crew member were dispatched in a small boat to extricate it.
The pair spent 15 minutes carefully cutting mesh that had become wrapped around its body.
Once freed, the sea turtle swam away to join other turtles that had been circling the floating debris.
"Saving a sea turtle is one of those things you hear about happening on other ships, but you'd never think it would happen to you," Ranville said. "It's a great feeling."
Ranville relocated to Sudbury at the age of five but after graduating from high school returned to Thunder Bay where he joined the HMCS Griffon naval reserve division.
He had become interested in the navy after participating in the RCN's six-week-long Raven Program for Indigenous Youth. In 2014, he enlisted.
HMCS Calgary is deployed on Operation ARTEMIS, Canada's contribution to a multi-national effort to reduce the smuggling of narcotics and other illicit goods in the waters of the Middle East.
According to information supplied by the navy, it has made several drug busts during its assignment, including the largest seizure of heroin in the history of the Combined Maritime Forces, a naval partnership of 33 nations.
Later this month, the ship will sail to Australia to participate in an international naval exercise.
