30-Foot-Long Basking Shark That Washed Up on Maine Beach Dies Despite Rescue Efforts

ABC News ^ | 09/03/15 | AVIANNE TAN

[Enlightened1]

Beachgoers in Lubec, Maine, near the Canadian border, tried to save a 30-foot-long basking shark that recently washed ashore, according to a video showing the desperate rescue attempt.

Onlooker Mark Olsen recorded the video Wednesday morning, when more than a dozen people spent several hours pouring buckets of ocean water into the large shark's gills and onto its skin.

The 30-foot-long shark can be seen immobile, lying on its side with a bloodied fin in the video.

Despite the efforts to save the shark, it died Wednesday afternoon, according to Lubec Town Administrator John Sutherland. He said the College of the Atlantic will be handling the shark's remains.

[EEGator]

Basking sharks don’t attack people, they’re like Whale sharks.

[EEGator]

[Secret Agent Man]

Not in before someone bitched about abortion.

[Kirkwood]

Poor thing just wanted to die in peace, not have a bunch of hippies poking and prodding it.

[beelzepug]

That was a very funny story unless you were the folks who owned the convertible.

[nomad]

That`s a whale of a video!

[FreeReign]

Explain to me the warped psyche of those who would “rescue” a critter which considers the resucers to be prey.

Basking Sharks eat plankton.

[IMR 4350]

Way I got it figured 50-75 lbs. of corn meal, 25-30 gallons of cooking oil, couple of Coon asses with their cookers and cooking pots and that sucker will be gone before you get the fuse lit.

[To Hell With Poverty]

It was basking.

HA! Best reply, right out of the gate. X-D

[IMTOFT]

The sea was angry that day my friends...like an old man trying to send soup back at a deli...

[SWAMPSNIPER]