Incredible Footage Shows Woman Rescuing a Shark Entangled in Fishing Line With Her Bare Hands
Two friends went paddleboarding with sharks near Big Pine Key off the coast of Florida earlier this year. They wanted to have fun chasing thrills, but did not expect life to throw a trump card at them that would transform the adventure into a life-saving act. Charity Clark (@dashofadventure) was out paddling with her friend Cassie Bailey during sunset and witnessed a shiver of sharks out in the sea. During their thrilling endeavor, the women stumbled on a lifeless shark profusely entangled in a fishing line. They almost believed that the shark had no chance of surviving, but Clark could not help but give it a final shot. Cassie Bailey, who goes by @wildthornbailey on TikTok, filmed as the life-saving minute unraveled while Clark rescued the shark with her bare hands.
Rescuing a motionless shark
On her TikTok page, Clark narrated the chain of events that led to the rescue mission on March 26. “Last night at sunset, we were surrounded by some really amazing sharks, but what we were about to see, we were not quite prepared for,” she recounted. When they spotted a buoy acting unusually on the surface of the water, the friends felt the need to investigate. “To our shock, I saw an upside-down shark entangled in a fishing line. I quickly grabbed the line to pull him up and check him out,” Clark explained. While her friends assisted her, Clark used her bare hands to hold the motionless shark down and disentangle the line that had wrapped around it from its fins to the dorsal and the inside of its mouth.
As she unwrapped the line, the friends barely had any hopes for the shark surviving. Nevertheless, Clark tried her best with caution, considering the shark survived and bit her hand off. “He was pretty much latched onto this rope really tightly,” she said. The shark lay static, floating on the water's surface, while Clark, who works as a photographer, and her friends did what they could to revive it. She even tapped its nose to bring the shark back to life, but in vain. “This long rope is coming off of either a lobster or a crab trap that was clearly not set responsibly,” Clark condemned.
As the rope was unraveled, it was only a matter of time until the shark returned to its senses and struggled to free itself from the rope. In a brave attempt, Clark refused to let go and wrestled with the shark until it was set free of the rope. The women let out a scream of victory and watched the shark swim away into the distance.
The paddleboarder's unusual experience
@dashofadventure Last night at sunset, we found something we never expected—a shark 🦈 , tangled and lifeless, trapped upside down from a trap line. If we hadn’t been there at that exact moment, this shark wouldn’t have made it. We worked quickly and carefully to free him, hoping he still had a chance. After what felt like forever, he finally kicked back to life and swam off, back where he belongs! 🥹 We aren’t exactly sure what kind of shark this is—so if you know, drop it in the comments! Most importantly, fishermen, please be responsible with your lines. Negligence like this is deadly. Our oceans and marine life deserve better. Let’s do better! 🦈🌊🫶🏻 #SharkRescue #SaveOurOceans #MarineConservation #ResponsibleFishing #floridakeyswildlife #savethesharks #rocpaddleboards @ROC OUTDOORS @Cassie Bailey ♬ original sound - Char
In an interview, Clark shared what encouraged her to rescue the shark. “It was just instinct. I didn’t even think twice,” said the 43-year-old woman. She claimed the mere view of an “animal in distress” urged her natural instincts to help the poor creature, per the Good News Network. Moreover, when the shark came out of the tonic state– a trance-like state that makes the animal immobile- Clark was “relieved.” She added, “We were all smiles watching it swim away. It was such a relief.”
@wildthornbaileys I still can’t believe you did this @dashofadventure #sharks #oceanlife #oceanadventure #savethesharks ♬ original sound - Cassie Bailey
The viral post of saving the shark shared on Clark’s TikTok was viewed 184,000 times and liked by 19,600 people. She was not sure about the type of shark she saved, but was happy that the marine animal got another chance at life. “If those are mangroves behind you, it’s most likely a blacktip shark! You untangling him helped oxygenate him back to life. Thank you for saving him,” penned @mahaileejp and @steffanypoe marked, “I love the kind of human you are. Everyone and everything deserves a fighting chance.”
You can follow @dashofadventure and @wildthornbaileys on TikTok for more videos.
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