Man filmed 'wrestling shark on New York beach' - but all is not as it seems

A man was filmed wrestling a shark on a New York beach this weekend sparking more conversation around shark attacks in New York.

At Smith Point Beach on Fire Island a small shark seemingly washed ashore while beachgoers were trying to enjoy a sunny day. One man ran to the small shark and wrestled it onto the sand much the horror of onlookers.

But a closer look shows the the shark had a fishing hook stuck in it which the man was trying to remove.

One person, who goes by yessiryesher on Instagram, filmed the harrowing encounter and posted it to their Instagram Story.

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The man struggled to bring the shark to shore as waves kept taking it back to the ocean. But he grabbed ahold of its tail fin and dragged it to the beach so he and another man could remove the fish hook.

Yessiryesher commented on the video, reposted by Only in Mastic and confirmed the two were they were fishing and did not intend to catch the shark.

"Shark was released unharmed!" The person wrote.

You can watch the full video below on the third slide.

Fishers may not catch and keep sharks without the proper permits, additionally the state has an extensive prohibited shark list. The two mens' decision to release the shark was the right move to make given the provisions.

The accidental shark capture comes as the number of shark sightings and attacks have risen in New York.

Beaches around Long Island and The Rockaways have seen a drastic increase in sharks leading to some beach closures.

Although sharks have always lived around New York, it seems there have been more unprovoked attacks this year. However, one expert told Curbed the rise in shark sightings is a good thing as it means the oceans around New York are getting cleaner.

For those afraid of encountering a shark in the waters, there are some things you can do to prevent a shark attack.

This includes: swimming with a friend, staying close to shore, avoiding the ocean during low-light hours, and areas with effluents or sewage.

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