HispanicBusiness

The life of a 17-pound, 80-year-old lobster that was destined for a pot of boiling water was spared this afternoon. Instead of becoming a memorable dinner the lobster is now back in the ocean.

The lobster was caught in the waters of New England and then purchased by The Dock Restaurant.

That's when Don MacKenzie, vice president of Boats Inc. in Niantic, stepped in.

"This lobster has seen World War One, World War Two, seen the landing on the moon and the Red Sox win the World Series, he's made it this far in life," MacKenzie said. "He deserves to live."

When The Dock received the lobster, dubbed "Larry" by the children who came to visit him over the weekend, word got out around town that someone had called to reserve the lobster for dinner one night.

"There was a price on the guy, but I won't say how much it was," MacKenzie said. "Lets just say that it's the most expensive lobster I never ate."

Released in Long Island Sound in an area of water that makes it impossible for draggers to drop their nets, MacKenzie and Boats Inc. head rigger Steve Wilson believe that "Larry" will be safe.

"They drag during the day, so if he does venture out of this area, it will be at night," Wilson said.

The exact location of the release point is confidential, Wilson said, so that no one will try to catch him.