A group of fishermen in Canada rescued a bald eagle from the grip of a large octopus that had dragged the bird underwater and was trying to drown it, a report said.

The fishermen saw the eagle wrapped in the octopus’ tentacles while they were farming salmon off Vancouver Island last Monday in the northwest section of the country, CNN reported.

One of the fishermen, John Illett, told the network they were unsure if they should intervene in the fight, but ultimately decided to help pry the eagle loose.

“It was heart-wrenching to see this octopus was trying to drown this eagle,” Illett told CNN.

As one of his other crew members recorded, Illett grabbed a pole with a hook and wrested the eagle free of the octopus.

“I was able to just latch on to the octopus and give it a little tug,” he told CNN. “It released its grip … which gave the eagle just enough time to get to shore.”

Illett, who’s been working as a fisherman for 20 years, said the scene was among the most amazing things he’s seen at sea.

“It’s moments like this why I love my job and being out in the environment where I can work and live,” he said.