GALVESTON, Texas – You just never know what you’ll come across in Galveston!
RELATED: Before heading to Galveston Beach, beware of these sea creatures, safety risks in the waters
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Beachgoers this weekend couldn’t believe their eyes when a young man was seen dragging a shark back into the water. According to KPRC 2 reporter Gage Goulding, who got the video from The Yardley Family, it happened Saturday at San Luis Pass.
The fisherman is seen on video tugging on the shark’s tail during a brief struggle but manages to get the 5-foot shark back into the water, where it swam away.
During the incident, the video also shows onlookers standing by, watching the fisherman take the shark back into the water, and a child’s voice is heard curiously asking, “Is [the shark] alive?”
This story comes a little more than a week after KPRC 2 senior digital producer Brittany Taylor spoke with a woman who came face-to-face with a shark in Galveston, and punched it.
MORE: ‘I punched it in the face’: 19-year-old woman fights off nearly 5-foot shark at Galveston beach
And at the risk of this article seeming like I’m trying to deter beachgoers from going to Galveston, KPRC 2 has some safety tips for folks to beware of sea creatures and safety risks in the waters.
Galveston Island Beach Patrol also shared these general tips about dealing with sharks on the beach:
- Avoid swimming in areas with schooling fish
- Do not swim in areas where water empties into the gulf- these are popular feeding grounds for sharks and large fish
- Shuffle your feet - this chases away small sharks, stingray, and other marine animals that can be harmful
- Avoid swimming or wading if there is blood in the area, including using a stringer while fishing
- Always stay with a buddy, since sharks are more likely to approach a solitary individual
- Do not wander too far from shore - being far from shore also isolates you from any emergency assistance
- Exercise caution when occupying the area between sandbars or near steep drop-offs - these are favorite hangouts for sharks
- Avoid being in the water during low light hours (dawn or dusk) and at night when many sharks are most active and feeding
- Sharks have never been shown to be attracted to the smell of human blood, however, it may still be advisable to stay out of the water if bleeding from an open wound (SEE ALSO: Menstruation and Sharks)
- Wearing shiny jewelry is discouraged because the reflected light may resemble the sheen of fish scales.
- Avoid areas with known effluents or sewage and those being used by sport or commercial anglers, especially if there are signs of bait fishes or feeding activity - diving seabirds are good indicators of these fishes’ presence
- Avoid water being used by recreational or commercial anglers
- Sightings of porpoises or dolphins do not indicate the absence of sharks, both often eat the same food items
- Use extra caution when waters are murky - some shark species will have just as much trouble seeing as you
- Avoid uneven tanning, bright-colored and/or high-contrasting clothing - sharks see contrast particularly well
- Refrain from excess splashing, particularly in a single spot - sharks can hear the low-frequency sounds from splashing and may investigate to see if there is a fish/prey in distress
- Do not enter the water if sharks are known to be present - slowly and calmly evacuate the water if sharks are seen
