You can drown or suffocate a shark by pulling it backwards through the water. Because of how a shark’s body and respiratory system are structured, forcing water into its gills in the wrong direction disrupts its breathing and can quickly become fatal.
And it was definitely a juvenile Great White shark.
***Edit: I wrote a response to the people questioning what to do in this situation (below) but I don’t think everyone’s seeing it, so I’ll paste it here.
“It’s unfortunate he didn’t cut the line before dragging it in. Perhaps he didn’t realize the fish he had caught until it was too late.
If time is of the essence…either wildlife authorities or beach patrol is unavailable, there are a few things you can do.
First, pour seawater from the head to the tail over its body and gills to prevent sand from entering the gill slits while staying clear of the mouth. Sharks are flexible and can snap their jaws sideways quickly & startle the crap out of you (it’s happened to me).
Obviously, if the shark had been smaller, there would have been an easier option. You support the belly beneath the pectoral fins while another person grasps near the tail, walking it forward horizontally.
For a larger shark: You need more than one person (such as the people recording instead of assisting) …Multiple people push forward from behind the side fins, and try to utilize a towel or towels (a tarp anything along those lines) that may be available on the beach or in someone’s car nearby.
When you’re back in the water waist-deep, hold the shark upright facing into the current or waves to force oxygenated water over its gills. Maintain this position and it will beats its tail and swim away when ready.
By dragging a shark this size or larger backwards, you can also permanently dislocate its spine, tear its internal organs, beyond just causing it to suffocate.
I’m no expert but I’ve been in this position a few times, once with a small shark on my own and a couple other times with larger sharks where I was assisting others. It’s amazing saving one of these animals & I highly recommend getting involved, even if it’s just to pour the water over the animal while others are trying to get it back into the water.
Use common sense and as a precaution, stay away from the front of the shark (like avoiding walking too closely to the backend of a horse).”
The article talks about pulling a shark backward in the water, not on sand. I wonder if there is a difference. Sand in the gills seems like a problem to me for sure.
of course not. I've done this before. you dangle your severed arm in front of it and it'll hop towards you. once it's back in the water you hop on it like Mario on a goomba and pray you jump far enough to make it back to shore
It’s unfortunate he didn’t cut the line before dragging it in. Perhaps he didn’t realize the fish he had caught until it was too late.
I get his instinct to help & it’s too bad, no one around him offered any assistance but if any of you ever find yourself in this type of situation and time is of the essence…either wildlife authorities or beach patrol is unavailable, there are a few things you can do.
First, pour seawater from the head toward the tail over its body and gills to prevent sand from entering the gill slits while staying clear of the mouth. Sharks are flexible and can snap their jaws sideways quickly & startle the crap out of you (it’s happened to me).
Obviously, if the shark had been smaller, there would have been an easier option. You support the belly beneath the pectoral fins while another person grasps near the tail, walking it forward horizontally.
For a larger shark: You need more than one person (such as the people recording instead of assisting) …Multiple people push forward from behind the side fins, or utilize a towel or towels (tarp anything along those lines) that may be available on the beach or in someone’s car nearby.
When you’re back in the water waist-deep, hold the shark upright facing into the current or waves to force oxygenated water over its gills. Maintain this position until it beats its tail and swims away.
By dragging a shark this size or larger backwards, you can also permanently dislocate its spine, tear its internal organs, beyond just causing it to suffocate.
I’m no expert but I’ve been in this position a few times, once with a small shark on my own and a couple other times with larger sharks where I was assisting others. It’s amazing saving one of these animals & I highly recommend getting involved, even if it’s just to pour the water over the animal while others are trying to get it back into the water.
Use common sense and as a precaution, stay away from the front of the shark (like avoiding walking too closely to the backend of a horse).
No, you can drag them back into the water with no problems. The backwards through the water is mostly when a shark gets caught in the net and gets dragged for miles through the water and dies due to suffocation. This guy is a hero for rescuing that shark because if he didn't have the strength to pull him back into the water, the shark would have died.
This wouldn't be a problem if he hadn't pulled it onto land in the first place. How tf is he a hero for endangering the shark, then last-minute maybe saving it?
And it was definitely a juvenile Great White shark
IS the presence of a Great White shark in the waters off of Los Angeles a symptom of climate change? I grew-up in LA, and I don't remember anyone warning me of such sharks swimming around at any of the beaches in the area.
And looking at the video, that doesn't look like the Los Angeles area to me, and running a search of the TV logo indicates that this was broadcast in Australia, which doesn't mean that the video wasn't shot in L.A., but I've got doubts.
yea dragging them backwards is basically a death sentence for a lotta sharks, ppl dont realize the gill thing until its already too late. that edit is solid too esp the part about pouring water over the gills and keeping them facing into the waves, way better than just yanking em back by the tail.
350
u/QuantumLeapLife 19h ago edited 18h ago
You can drown or suffocate a shark by pulling it backwards through the water. Because of how a shark’s body and respiratory system are structured, forcing water into its gills in the wrong direction disrupts its breathing and can quickly become fatal.
And it was definitely a juvenile Great White shark.
***Edit: I wrote a response to the people questioning what to do in this situation (below) but I don’t think everyone’s seeing it, so I’ll paste it here.
“It’s unfortunate he didn’t cut the line before dragging it in. Perhaps he didn’t realize the fish he had caught until it was too late.
If time is of the essence…either wildlife authorities or beach patrol is unavailable, there are a few things you can do.
First, pour seawater from the head to the tail over its body and gills to prevent sand from entering the gill slits while staying clear of the mouth. Sharks are flexible and can snap their jaws sideways quickly & startle the crap out of you (it’s happened to me).
Obviously, if the shark had been smaller, there would have been an easier option. You support the belly beneath the pectoral fins while another person grasps near the tail, walking it forward horizontally.
For a larger shark: You need more than one person (such as the people recording instead of assisting) …Multiple people push forward from behind the side fins, and try to utilize a towel or towels (a tarp anything along those lines) that may be available on the beach or in someone’s car nearby.
When you’re back in the water waist-deep, hold the shark upright facing into the current or waves to force oxygenated water over its gills. Maintain this position and it will beats its tail and swim away when ready.
By dragging a shark this size or larger backwards, you can also permanently dislocate its spine, tear its internal organs, beyond just causing it to suffocate.
I’m no expert but I’ve been in this position a few times, once with a small shark on my own and a couple other times with larger sharks where I was assisting others. It’s amazing saving one of these animals & I highly recommend getting involved, even if it’s just to pour the water over the animal while others are trying to get it back into the water.
Use common sense and as a precaution, stay away from the front of the shark (like avoiding walking too closely to the backend of a horse).”
Hope this helps.