Beached shark pulled to safety by New Brunswick teen

A 15-year-old boy in New Brunswick has been hailed as a hero for his quick thinking and compassion when he found a shark stranded on the shore of Maces Bay. Finn Holland discovered the porbeagle shark on its back, appearing to be dying, and felt compelled to act.

“

It was essentially dying and I thought to myself, ‘If I don’t do something, it’s going to die.'

"It was essentially dying and I thought to myself, ‘If I don’t do something, it’s going to die,'" Holland told Global News. Despite initial concerns, he rolled the exhausted animal onto its stomach and began to slowly pull it by its tail about six meters into the water. He estimated it took about 10 minutes for the shark to regain enough strength to swim away.

The St. Lawrence Shark Observatory identified the animal as a porbeagle shark, a native cold-water species common in Atlantic Canadian waters. While the shark swam off, scientific director Jeffrey Gallant cautioned that such rescues don't guarantee survival, as stranded sharks are often severely stressed or injured. However, he affirmed that the young man's actions gave the shark its best chance.

“

Under the circumstances, the young man did the right thing by returning the shark to the water, thereby giving it its best chance of survival.

Holland's bravery has earned praise from the local community, including Mayor Denny Cogswell, who posted on Facebook, "A huge thank you to Finn for his determination and for helping return this shark safely to the water. What a great example of a young person stepping up to help."

“

A huge thank you to Finn for his determination and for helping return this shark safely to the water. What a great example of a young person stepping up to help.