Whale kills Canadian man who helped set it free

Canadian man Joe Howlett was killed while trying to disentangle an endangered whale trapped in commercial fishing gear Monday, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

According to those present, Howlett and his team had just cut the North Atlantic Right whale free off the coast of New Brunswick when it "'responded in a way that ultimately killed Joe,'"

(Video: CBC)

Howlett, 59, was a member -- and co-founder -- of non-governmental organization Campobello Whale Rescue.

He had helped rescue about two dozen whales over the last 15 years, according to CBC.

At the time of the incident, Howlett was participating in one such rescue alongside the nation's Department of Fisheries and Oceans' Conservation and Protection officers, as well as the Canadian Coast Guard.

The teams typically travel in 26-foot, high-speed zodiac boats, utilizing extension poles with sharp, hooked knives to cut the whales free without hurting them, CBC reported.

"There are serious risks involved with any disentanglement attempt," Canadian Minister Dominic LeBlanc said in a statement. "Each situation is unique, and entangled whales can be unpredictable."

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