A Niantic man bought a 17-pound lobster at a Waterford restaurant, then released the crustacean in Long Island Sound.



Don MacKenzie told The Day of New London he knew the lobster that local children nicknamed "Lucky Larry" would have to be about 80 years old to reach his current size and felt it deserved to live.



MacKenzie won't say how much he paid The Dock restaurant to take Larry off the menu.



On Tuesday, he took the lobster to sea and released it in a secret location.



MacKenzie received a send-off from a group of children chanting "Let Larry Live" and the lobster was given a salute from the Niantic River Bridge operator, who sounded the lift bridge's siren as the boat carrying it headed back to sea.

