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This incredible footage shows the heart-stopping moment when a pair of divers removed a hook from the deadly jaws of a six-foot shark.

Friends Cameron Nimmo, 26, and Mickey Smith, 25, performed the rescue operation after the huge silky shark had been flipped upside down to put it in a trance.

The pair, who describe themselves as 'shark addicts', remove hooks from the mouths, noses and bodies of the sharks they see when diving.

(Image: Barcroft)

During their most recent encounter, off the coast of Jupiter, Florida, another diver, Randy Jordan, helped put the shark in a trance by turning it upside down.

Then, using a pair of pliers, Cameron successfully detached the hook before the shark swam free.

The large size and cutting teeth of the silky shark make it potentially dangerous, and it has behaved aggressively towards divers, although attacks on humans are rare.

(Image: Barcroft)

Cameron, from Florida, said: “I love popping the hooks out - it’s a great feeling.

"There is some danger there but the last thing I’m thinking about is getting bitten - I just want to get the hook out.

"We love sharks so much and want to be around them as much as possible.

“We are trying to change people's perspective on sharks through the videos that Mickey films.

"We want to help protect our oceans and marine life.”

(Image: Barcroft)

The friends estimate that around 75% of the sharks they encounter have hooks attached.

Cameron said: “We see between five and 20 sharks on a dive and so many have hooks embedded.

“It happens when people are fishing, they catch them and cut the line so they don't have to bring it on the boat, or the shark breaks the line."

The friends hope to turn their passion into a business and teach others about the importance of caring for sharks.

Check out all the pictures of the divers removing the hook from the shark's jaws in the gallery below.