This is the heartwarming moment a lifeguard rescued a sea turtle that was tangled in ocean debris.

The beach worker spotted a fishing net washed ashore and discovered the creature trapped in the threads in Phuket, Thailand, on June 6.

Footage shows the rescuer cutting through the ropes using a knife. Moments later, he successfully removed the marine animal from the nets and released it back into the sea.

He said the turtle swam away and was unhurt from its ordeal.

Ghost nets - often discarded by fishing trawlers - are one of the biggest threats to marine life.

Strong ocean currents can carry ghost nets over long distances, eventually washing them ashore. Severe weather events can also dislodge ghost nets from the seabed or fishing vessels, causing them to drift and ultimately beach.

According to UNESCO's Facts & Figures on Marine Pollution, more than one million marine animals - including mammals, fish, sharks, turtles, and birds - are killed each year due to plastic debris in the ocean. These animals can become entangled in meshes, leading to suffocation, starvation, injury, and death.

Ghost nets also damage delicate marine ecosystems like coral reefs and seagrass beds as they destroy these habitats, preventing the growth of new life.

A 2018 report published in Scientific Reports concluded that ghost nets account for at least 46 per cent of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. An estimated 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year. It is projected that by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean.

Lorin Hancock from the World Wildlife Fund said: 'Those abandoned fishing lines and nets that break down never truly go away; they just become smaller pieces of plastic.

'Marine animals mistake this microplastic for food and eat it, which can harm their internal organs, prevent proper feeding, and expose them to toxic chemicals.'

Ocean Earth Foundation based in Australia and the Olive Ridley Project have together rescued and treated hundreds of sea turtles, with Ocean Earth Foundation saving over 400 from ghost nets and the Olive Ridley Project rehabilitating and releasing over 132 back into the wild.