Jeremiah Jackson, NSRI Shelly Beach station commander, said:
At 12h50, Wednesday, 28th June, NSRI Shelly Beach duty crew were activated following a bystander’s eye-witness report of a small shark appearing to be trapped in the Manaba Tidal Pool, Margate.
Our sea rescue vehicle with NSRI members went to the scene to investigate and members of The Natal Sharks Board, Police Search and Rescue and Tower 13 lifeguards were activated.
On arrival on the scene it appeared that the small Nurse shark may have been deliberately dumped in the pool by a fisherman for unknown reasons but this cannot be confirmed.
It was initially thought that perhaps at the Spring High Tide the shark would exit the pool to the sea unassisted but that tidal pool is well protected and it was decided to make a plan to catch and release the shark.
Onlookers were kept at a safe distance for safety.
A local fisherman offered to assist and using a Rock and Surf fishing rod and tackle, with a small fish hook, the fisherman was able to hook the shark and reel the shark out of the tidal pool where NSRI and the unidentified fisherman assisted by officials unhooked the shark which was safely returned to the sea appearing to be healthy and no further assistance was required.
The operation was completed at 14h30.
NSRI commend the bystander known to NSRI only as Storm who initially called in the incident to NSRI and the unidentified fisherman who left the scene before NSRI could get his details. He is commended for his assistance in catching the shark.
Pictures attached: By NSRI Shelly Beach – the small Nurse shark trapped in the Manaba Tidal Pool. And the unidentified fisherman with NSRI Shelly Beach station commander Jeremiah Jackson unhooking the shark before its successful release to the open ocean.
TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONE
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