Two divers rescue a stingray caught up in fishing gear off Australia's eastern coast.

The footage, captured on September 12, 2017, off of Moreton Bay, shows the men encountering a stingray with a hook pinned to its tail and attached to a fishing line.

One of the men can be seen placing his hand over the ray to keep it still as the other cuts the fishing line with a knife.

Later on, they try to remove the hook from the ray's tail but the animal reacts by jabbing at them.

The stingray can be seen later swimming away with the hook in its tail.

The filmer later wrote online: ''We were doing a monthly cleanup dive in order to remove marine debris, whether it is fishing line, hooks and sinker or plastics and other debris that gets washed into the seaway.

''My buddy and I were about 10 minutes in when we came close to the stingray caught by a fishing gear.''

''Being careful not to stress the animal too much and also not to hurt ourselves, my buddy placed his hand over the ray to keep it still, while I got my knife out to cut it loose.''

''I and my buddy realised that getting the hook out wasn't going to be possible. So we let the little guy go with the hook still in.''

''At least in the state (that) we released him in, he would still go on and be able to hunt and feed. Whereas if we hadn't he most surely would have died either through exhaustion or starvation or as prey for something larger.''

This was filmed during a dive in the Gold Coast Seaway, Australia on the 9/12/2017 in about 10-15m of water. Visibility was really good.

We were there as a group of divers doing a monthly Cleanup dive as a part of Cleanup Crew - Environmental divers.

We typically go down and remove as much marine debris as possible, whether it is fishing line, hooks and sinker or plastics and other debris that gets washed into the seaway.

On this dive, my buddy and I were about 10min in when we came close to the Stingray. Normally they swim away pretty quickly, but when we approached it tried to dart off but was obviously caught by some fishing gear. When we got closer we could see it foul hooked through its Tail. being careful not to stress the animal too much and also not to hurt ourselves my buddy placed his hand over the ray to keep it still, while I got my knife out to cut it loose.

At first, I thought I might be able to get the hook out, but after cutting the line, and going back for a second attempt at the hook the ray started to jab at us with his tail. I and my buddy realised that getting the hook out wasn't going to be possible. So we let the little guy go with the hook still in.

At least in the state we released him in he would still go on and be able to hunt and feed. Whereas if we hadn't he most surely would have died either through exhaustion or starvation, or as prey for something larger.