A whale that became entangled in fishing debris 28 miles south of O'ahu apparently managed to free itself before rescuers could intervene, officials said today.

The Coast Guard yesterday transported a rescue crew from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to a fishing boat in anticipation of a rescue effort, the Coast Guard said. The crew attached a satellite-tracking buoy to the debris the whale was tangled in yesterday afternoon

When the crew returned to the site today, however, the whale was gone, an indication that it had apparently managed to free itself, officials said.