NYC Lifeguard Rescues Shark From Abusive Beachgoers

A lifeguard in New York's Coney Island beach came to the rescue of a 2-foot sand shark that was being smacked and hit by frightened swimmers.

Chiseled lifeguard Marisu Mironescu, 39, of Brooklyn, said in Tuesday editions of The Daily News that he saw about 75 to 100 people circling the shark off Coney Island's beach and "bugging out."

"They were holding onto it and some people were actually hitting him, smacking his face," said Mironescu, who has been a lifeguard since 1985 had never dealt with a shark until Monday's rescue. "Well, I wasn't going to let them hurt the poor thing," he said.

He grabbed the largely harmless fish in his arms and carried it, backstroking out to sea, where he let it go.

"He was making believe like he's dead, then he wriggled his whole body and tried to bite me," Mironescu said.