Tuesday 14 July 2015

Beachgoers help rescue stranded great white shark

Shark kept wet by beachgoers
UPDATED 11:53 PM EDT Jul 13, 2015

CHATHAM, Mass. —A great white shark that became stranded on a Chatham beach was kept wet by beachgoers until it could be pulled back into the water by officials Monday.

The shark, a 7-foot juvenile male, beached itself trying to get a seagull near the barrier breach on South Beach, a witness said.

"Last year we know that sharks were in that area, and that it got shallow and it was hard for them to get out," Cynthia Wigren, of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy said. "It was hard for them to get out, but for a shark to be beached, is a big deal."

"There was no way for the shark to get to where it could swim, so it just kept flapping and moving over," witness Kelly Skanell said.

The shark was kept wet by beachgoers until it was pulled back into the water by officials who attached a line to its rear caudal fin.

"What we did once it was completely beached is throw buckets of water, because we though that would sort of help keep it alive," Isabel Hegland said.

It took about an hour to slowly tow the shark back out to sea. The shark was tagged by Marine Fisheries officials and returned to the sea.

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