Hammerhead shark washes ashore

SUNNY ISLES BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) -- Beach goers' jaws dropped on a South Florida beach when a shark hit the sands and washed ashore.

A nearly two-and-a-half foot long hammerhead shark tried to beach itself on Sunny Isles Beach, Sunday.

"There was a guy next to me getting up on a chair, and he was like going like this, 'Oh, my God, a shark!'" said one woman.

Beach goers in the area were shocked to see the animal flipping around in ankle deep water near the shore. "On this beach? No, no, very rarely do sharks ever come in on the beach," said one man.

Cell phone video captured the shark performing a death roll-like move while washing onto shore.

The shark sighting brought in crowds by the dozens- everyone armed with smart phone in hand capturing the seemingly wounded animal. "And he looked like he was caught and released before, he was missing a fin," said Sam Bud, who witnessed the shark rescue "And they took it down there about a mile in the middle but he's gonna swim back this way. He was looking for help."

One man got up close and personal with the shark and tried to push it back into the water, yet the hammerhead just struggled too close to the shore.

At some point, two men used their personal watercraft to haul the hammerhead back into deep open water.

Although some people said the shark was never a danger to people, others found it disturbing. "We were actually pretty surprised how close it go to us," said Cody Schurgin. "It was actually right on the shore. If we went close enough, it definitely would have tried to attack us for sure."

Whether some were scared or some wanted to help, all of the beach goers have quite a shark tale to tell. "The people that were riding these things and then they were trying to catch the sharks," said Nicoles Pages, who said he was not scared.

Hammerheads could potentially be dangerous, though they rarely attack humans. Wildlife experts say you should always call authorities rather than to help a beached shark yourself.

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