This is the moment a group of kindhearted beachgoers save a sea lion tangled in a fishing net.

The rescue took place in the town of Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky in the far-eastern Russian region of Sakhalin Oblast.

According to the news site Ampravda, tourists on the coast saw a large animal approaching the shore that appeared to be tangled in something.

They pulled the unfortunate animal out of the sea, which turned out to be a large sea lion. Quickly realising it was tangled in a fishing net, the group worked together to free it.

One rescuer said: “While some pressed down sea lion’s head with a log, others fought to untangle the net, simultaneously dodging the powerful jaws of the frightened and tired animal. Lena Karaseva who was one of the rescuers cut the net with a knife.”

The footage shows rescuers dragging the sea lion to shore before trying to free it from the net.

According to the group, the sea lion had tried to escape and growled at them we should force them to use the log to press down its head while Karaseva cut the net with a knife.

Once freed, the sea lion waddled straight back into the water as the group looked on and cheered their efforts.