Watch beachgoers help a stranded shark on Nantucket’s Low Beach
Watch: Beachgoers on Nantucket push shark back into the sea
Video captured the moment beachgoers came together to help a shark washed ashore.
A great white shark stranded on a Massachusetts beach was helped back into the water by a group of friendly beachgoers.
Liza Phillips was playing soccer with her father and brother on Low Beach in Nantucket when they noticed “a beach animal in the distance.” She grabbed her phone and ran toward the animal, Phillips told Storyful.
“We were all shocked to see this beautiful animal struggling and dying with sandburn-affected rashes,” Phillips told Storyful. “I felt helpless watching him in the surf, but I remember looking back and seeing a friend of ours take off his shirt, and I knew we both had to step in and help the shark back into the ocean.”
What you should know: What species of sharks live in Massachusetts waters?
Video footage shows beachgoers pushing the shark back into the water
Video footage from the scene shows the great white shark struggling on the beach after it was washed ashore. Two good Samaritans who saw the struggling sea creature near the shore approach the shark and gently push it back into the sea until it calms down again.
“Give him a push!” a woman can be heard saying in the background.
The shark eventually swims back to deeper waters.
How to help an animal in distress or stranded
If you encounter a marine animal that is sick, injured, malnourished, entangled, dead or oiled, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center recommends the following:
- Contact the authorities immediately
- Keep your distance from the animal to give it the best chance of survival.
- Do not pour water on the animal. Federal law prohibits touching, feeding, harassing, removing, or returning a stranded mammal to the water.
- Observe the animal from a safe distance and make any necessary observations. Politely keep other people away from the animal.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
