Young Fisherman Rescues Great White Shark on California Beach

A video that went viral this week features a young fisherman grappling with a juvenile great white shark that had washed ashore. The incident occurred after he waded through the crashing surf in Southern California while wearing just his underwear and accidentally hooked the protected species.

Kevin Huang, age 20, was fishing off a pier in Hermosa Beach around 9 a.m. local time on Wednesday. During his attempt to reel in a large catch, he discovered, much to his surprise, that it was a great white shark on the other end of the line. This species is illegal to fish for along the California coast, as noted by a report from a local news outlet.

The waves ultimately brought the juvenile shark onto the beach.

Local resident Alexandra Garry described the scene, saying, “The next thing I knew, one of the fishermen was half naked, down to his underwear, trying to remove the hook in the water.”

Footage taken by Garry captured Huang, clad only in boxers, lunging at the shark as spectators looked on from the pier, all while the shark thrashed around with a pair of pincers. The choppy four-foot waves made it difficult for him and others to cut the line. Eventually, as he faltered, a lifeguard truck pulled up, and he called for assistance.

When the lifeguard arrived, Huang pulled the shark’s tail onto the sand, flipped it around, and attempted to guide it back into the ocean. The shark needs to swim to breathe, so when the lifeguard returned to help, they worked together to push the shark back into the waves, allowing water to flow into its gills.

To the delight of those watching, the shark swam away, with fans cheering and raising their arms in triumph.

Reflecting on the experience, Huang admitted, “I had never been close to a great white shark before, and I was a little scared of the teeth, so I was a little scared.”

Though he had been fishing for about five years, he noted that he had never specifically targeted that type of shark and was aware of its protection under state regulations.

According to Huang, he did sustain some minor cuts and scrapes but was otherwise uninjured.

A study conducted by California State University, Long Beach indicates that juvenile great white sharks typically pose a low threat to swimmers, as they frequent shallow waters to feed on smaller fish.