Lifeguard punched '12 foot shark' to save swimmers on Jersey beach

Lifeguard punched '12 foot shark' to save swimmers on Jersey beach St Ouen's Bay north-western tip of Jersey was cleared of swimmers and closed after reports of a possible shark sighting - the species has not yet been confirmed A lifeguard on a popular UK beach had an unexpected encounter with a shark. St Ouen's Bay on the north-western tip of Jersey was cleared of swimmers and closed on the morning of Saturday, August 1 after reports of a possible shark sighting. One lifeguard is said to have had a closer look at the animal - believed to be up to 12 ft long - but the species remains unconfirmed. RNLI lifeguard Tom Rolls said his colleague Nick paddled over the animal on a rescue board at about 10.40am shortly before the beach was shut. Mr Rolls told the Bailiwick Express: "He even said he kind of punched it as he was paddling, so it must have been really close to the surface. "It was darkish grey, about 10 to 12 feet long, and then it swam away really quickly from under his board." Lifeguards decided to red flag the beach since the species could not be identified, effectively closing it to the members of the public. Richard Peirce, a wildlife campaigner who has published books on sharks in British waters, said he doubts the sighting involved a species like a Great White. "I haven't seen a good picture of a dorsal fin that might have enabled me to have a stab at the species," he told Metro. "It has to be a good picture because if you get a good enough side on a dorsal fin, it's a bit like a human fingerprint. He was unsure of what species it could have been but said since it had a large dorsal fin and was close, a basking shark came to mind. Around 30 species of sharks roam in the waters surrounding the British Isles, including the blue shark, mako, thresher and poor beagle dubbed a miniature Great White, and the basking shark, the second-largest living shark, Mr Peirce said. Shark scientist Tom 'The Blowfish' Hird said that Great Whites are constantly on the move following food sources, and it would be easy for one to swim around the UK within days. He said that just because the species has not been spotted for sure in British waters "doesn't mean they're not here already."