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Brothers Save Injured Hammerhead Shark In Florida

By Dustin Wicksell
Published on: 06:14 PST, Jul 23, 2015

A hammerhead shark swimming off the coast of Florida owes its well-being to two brothers, who aided the wayward animal earlier this week when they found it near a beach in Destin.

Logan and Marcus Lakos encountered the shark earlier this week, according to ABC 11, and beachgoers were startled when Logan approached it. As Marcus filmed, his brother reached out to the shark, grabbing the hammerhead by its tail and pulling it ashore. The 10-foot-long shark was injured, suffering from two deep sea fishing hooks and a lure that were wedged in its mouth. A fishing line was also wrapped around the shark’s distinctively shaped head, encumbering it and hampering the animal’s ability to eat.

Despite their initial shock, several other beachgoers pitched in to help the brothers when their intentions became obvious. Holding the shark down for several minutes, they were able to remove the offending tackle before releasing the animal back into the sea. The hammerhead remained near the beach for several minutes before Logan pulled it into waist-deep water. According to him, the shark appeared to be suffering from no other injuries when released, and it moved out to sea under its own power, as WSPA reports.

Though there are a variety of species of hammerhead sharks which call the East Coast home, most of them pose little danger to humans. Earlier this year, a hammerhead was sighted in Ocean City, as the Inquisitr previously reported, swimming unusually close to shore. The shark was responsible for repeatedly frightening beachgoers out of the water, and researchers asserted that its apparent fearlessness when approaching humans may have been an indication that the shark was injured. After it was observed by beach patrol officers for nearly a full day, the shark swam back out to sea without causing any injuries.

Several other hammerhead sharks have been discovered in Florida recently, bearing the scars of poachers who killed the animals for their fins. At least one shark was discovered on a beach in Florida this spring missing only its fins, while another hammerhead was found in June, hidden in a bay, having fallen victim to poachers.

Both of the Lakos brothers say they received thanks from their fellow beachgoers following the hammerhead shark’s rescue.

[Image: Marcus Lakos via Twitter]

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