New Jersey man and lifeguards rescue a washed-up shark with bare hands

Normally, people find it safe to stay away from sharks. But one man from New Jersey jumped to the rescue of a predator when it washed up on the shore.

The incident took place on Sunday (16 July) afternoon when a lifeguard at Beach Haven spotted the giant fish heading towards the shoreline crowded with people. Instead of panicking, the lifeguard started whistling to clear the area.

Andrew Boris, one of the beachgoers who captured the whole incident on camera, said: "The lifeguard just started whistling, and calling everybody in. We realized they saw a shark. We saw it actually riding the waves, coming back into the shore."

The shark somehow managed to come to the dry area, but the real action started when a man came forward and grabbed the predator barehanded, Boris said.

"And this guy just walked up, just grabbed it with two hands, and like ran off with it. I don't know if he's a fisherman or just one of these manly guys who just goes and wrestles sharks for a living, but he just put both hands around it and lifted it up in the air like it was nothing," Boris told ABC New York City station WABC-TV.

Other guards also came out to help the shark with their bare hands, the man added.

"One of the other lifeguards grabbed it from him, and then they tried to make their way out into the surf to try to let the shark go, but they kind of got into distress because they were a little too deep.

"So then the other lifeguard in the Sea Doo went out to rescue that guy and the shark, and he made this amazing one hand grab of the shark, held it over his head as he was going out and everyone was cheering," he said, adding the whole crazy drama ended safely and happily.

The rescued fish was reportedly a sand shark, which is commonly spotted in the waters off the Jersey shore, but is rarely seen that close to a beach. Sand sharks are considered less aggressive than other sharks.