Shark rescued after being tangled in crab trap

By Ben Barry

Police officers came to the rescue of a shark found tangled in a crab trap.

While patrolling Manatee Public Beach, Florida, marine deputies saw a shark with a fishing line coming from its lower jaw.

The deputies determined it was too risky to put their hands in the shark's mouth, so they called in help from Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium.

Soon after arriving, the officials were able to remove the hooks from the 6-to-8-foot sandbar shark and let it go.

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Speaking after the rescue, on on January 9, 2026, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Alan Judy, said: “We got almost to Manatee Beach, and I saw the dorsal of the shark above.

“It was kind of odd; you don’t see it that often.

“You could see the line going to the crab trap buoy, so we know, obviously, it was tangled up, because when we got closer, it went down, and the ball of the dot went down.

“It was kind of funny, because at first, my partner said, ‘Why don’t you cut him free?’ And I said, ‘No, that thing has got too much teeth.’

"Too many teeth for me to go stick my hand down there."