Recently, a white shark was found stranded on a beach in Massachusetts and was rescued by a group of compassionate beachgoers.

Liza Phillips was playing football with her family at Low Beach in Nantucket when she spotted “a creature on the beach.” Curious, she ran to get a closer look, as she later shared with Storyful.

“We were all in disbelief watching this majestic creature struggling and seemingly in distress, covered in sandburn rashes,” Phillips recounted. “Feeling powerless as I watched it struggle in the waves, I saw a friend take off his shirt, and I knew we both needed to intervene and assist the shark back to the ocean.”

Beachgoers assisting shark back to the ocean

Footage from the incident shows the great white shark thrashing on the beach after being washed ashore. Witnessing its plight, two bystanders approached and gently helped push the shark back into the sea until it regained its balance.

“Give him a push!” a woman encourages from the sidelines.

Eventually, the shark was able to swim away into deeper waters.

What to do if you find a stranded or distressed animal

If you encounter a marine animal that appears sick, injured, malnourished, entangled, deceased, or contaminated with oil, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center advises the following steps:

• Contact local authorities right away
• Keep your distance to give the animal the best chance for recovery.
• Avoid pouring water on the animal. Federal regulations prohibit touching, feeding, harassing, removing, or returning a beached mammal to the water.
• Observe from a safe distance and take necessary notes. Kindly keep others away from the animal.