Terrifying moment beachgoers help shark back into ocean
Rhianna Benson
Featured Image Credit: accuweather/YouTube
Those suffering from thalassophobia might want to avert their eyes now...
That's because the petrifying footage of the moment a group of beachgoers came face-to-face with a colossal mako shark while relaxing on the beach in Florida has gone viral online.
Filmed in Pensacola, Florida, back in September this year, the heart-stopping video shows a couple standing in the shallow waters of the ocean.
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Thrashing around just metres from their feet, however, is a - quite frankly - ENORMOUS deep sea predator, that looks nothing short than the stuff of nightmares.
The beast became washed up on the shore after swimming in the dangerously shallow waters, seemingly finding it impossible to return to the ocean.
The shark continues to smash its tail against the sand in an attempt to escape but is unable to reach the water.
A group of three men are then forced to intervene in the matter, each gripping the end of the shark's caudal fins and trying to drag it back to the ocean.
But the animal's staggering weight made the attempt to save its life near impossible, especially when one wrong foot could see that foot bitten off by the distressed shark.
Eventually, the group are able to drag the terrifying creature back to the water, before turning it quickly and cautiously to be facing the sea.
Once the shark was pointed in the right direction, the group scatter from the sea to the safety of the shore, watching as it swims graciously back into the crystal blue waters.
Viewers in the comment section are seemingly still shaken by the nerve-wracking video, which has accumulated a staggering 634,000 views on YouTube since being published.
"That was so kind," one viewer penned. "Even though they must have obviously been scared they decided to help".
Another wrote: "Their braveness is incredible! Great that they did risk their health to help him out".
"That is a HUGE mako - close relative to the white shark," a third noted, before another added, "Love this. Despite the danger and bad wrap sharkies get, these people did the right thing 100%".
The frightening news comes just a week after a free-diver in Australia was forced to undergo facial surgery and teeth removal after being bitten on the head by a Great White shark.
Bridgette O'Shannessy had been exploring the ocean off a reef in Adelaide along with her dive partner Brian Gordon Peters when the beast struck.
According to Perth Now, her dive parter Peters had managed to push the terrifying animal away from her and began applying pressure to her painful wounds.
Upon her arrival at Flinders Medical Centre, however, Bridgette was forced to undergo two surgeries, including having some of her teeth removed.
The university student, 32, suffered severe nerve damage, and had attained several other injuries.