Video shows long-tailed shark struggling to get back into the ocean at NYC beach

A video shows a huge and vulnerable thresher shark washing up on a beach in Queens, New York, on Monday afternoon.

Witness Zoe Berger took the 32-second video of the fish on the sand struggling to make its way back into the water at Rockaway Beach. The shark could be seen aggressively twisting its body and tail from side to side as the waves continued to push it on the sand.

According to Storyful, Berger said three people helped guide the shark back into the deep water. One of the men, Gio Barillias, held its fin to steer and redirect it several times back into the ocean.

In an interview with the New York Daily News, Barillias said he was "scared" but mustered up the courage to help the shark.

"I saw the poor animal struggling at the edge, and I said to myself I had to do something about it and not just be one of those people standing around with their cellphones taking video," Barillias explained to the outlet, adding, "His or her skin was like sandpaper. The body language was in shock. It was survival mode."

Their efforts were successful, as the shark remained in the deeper water towards the end of the jetty, Storyful reported.

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Other shark sightings on Rockaway Beach

The thresher shark sighting incident amid other sightings at Rockaway Beach, a popular spot for New Yorkers. Fox 5 reported that parts of the beach were closed but eventually reopened to the public this summer due to sharks.

"Our drones will continue to monitor the waters for any other shark sightings or swimmers in distress," New York Police Department Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry said in a July statement. "Our goal is to keep the public safe, and with new and improving drone technology, we are able to do that."

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.