This is the heartwarming moment a sea turtle was rescued by local fishermen after getting trapped in a mass of rubbish floating off the coast of Thailand.

Two fishermen, Pairot Thongklang and his brother, Eak, found the stranded turtle flapping desperately while stuck in the garbage off the coast of Phuket, Thailand earlier today (July 29).

Footage shows how Eak grabbed a small knife before slowly cutting away a rotten old fishing rope that was tangled around the turtle's body.

The creature was not injured during the rescue and safely released back into the water.

Eak said: ''If we hadn't found the turtle they would surely have died, because they couldn't get out of the mess.

''The ocean should be safe for all animals but because of humans, it has become a dangerous place for them.

''I think that everybody should be more careful not to throw rubbish into the ocean. But also look out for other people's rubbish and clear that away too. The ocean is everybody's responsibility.''