A Stonehaven resident bravely tried to assist a struggling shark washed up on the beach.
From her apartment overlooking the south end of Stonehaven Bay, Laura Mingo noticed something peculiar from her window on Thursday morning.
She initially thought it was rubbish that had washed up during the stormy weather, but then noticed a fin flapping and immediately took notice.
Laura headed down to the shore and came face-to-face with a 5ft shark.
The shark had washed up on the beach, so Ms Mingo proceeded to get into the water to help the creature despite the bone-chilling temperature.
It is believed to be a juvenile blue shark.
She said: “I didn’t know what to do, I tried to move it with my foot but it was too big.
“I waited for the next tide to come in, grabbed the tail, and went into the water with it.
“I was up to my thighs in water and kept away from its head because I know they recover quickly.
Ms Mingo tried to save the shark after it became stranded
“I managed to refloat it and it went off. It quickly came ashore again, went on to its back.
“It continued to have seizures as I tried to refloat it again.
“I realised at that point it was dying and stopped trying to intervene.”
Ms Mingo told The P&J the incident happened between 7.30am and 8.30am and that due to her job, she needed to leave, but the shark was still thrashing on the beach.
She reported it to the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme and returned several times to check on it.
Ms Mingo said: “I was shocked when I first saw it and I wanted to help it.
“I’ve had a baby seal outside my flat door before. To see a shark is very unusual.”
She later said a fellow resident had successfully refloated the shark.
SMASS confirmed it is aware of the incident.
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