What did Colleen Dunn do to save the stranded juvenile salmon shark?

Colleen Dunn, an Oregon resident, lifted the stranded juvenile salmon shark by its tail and ran it out to the surf, saving the shark from certain death as the tide receded.

Where did Colleen Dunn find the stranded juvenile salmon shark?

Colleen Dunn discovered the stranded juvenile salmon shark near Nehalem Bay State Park in Oregon.

How did the stranded juvenile salmon shark respond after Colleen Dunn released it into the ocean?

After Colleen Dunn released the stranded juvenile salmon shark into the ocean, the shark began to stir and swim as the waves carried it farther out, leaving Dunn hopeful that her efforts had paid off.

Home / Environment / Oregon Woman Rescues Stranded Juvenile Shark in Daring Ocean Dash

Oregon Woman Rescues Stranded Juvenile Shark in Daring Ocean Dash

10 Nov

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Summary

Beachgoer discovers juvenile salmon shark stranded in shallow water
Attempts to return shark to ocean as tide recedes, against all odds
Shark begins to swim as waves carry it back to deeper waters

Oregon Woman Rescues Stranded Juvenile Shark in Daring Ocean Dash

In mid-October 2025, Colleen Dunn, a recent transplant to Oregon, was walking her dogs along the shoreline near Nehalem Bay State Park when she made an unexpected discovery. Dunn initially mistook a small, three-foot-long shark lying on its side and gasping for air as driftwood, but upon closer inspection, she realized it was a juvenile salmon shark stranded in the shallow water.

With no visible injuries and no one nearby to assist, Dunn decided to take action. She first tried to pull the shark into a nearby tide pool, hoping the water would sustain it until the tide returned. However, as the tide began to recede and daylight faded, Dunn knew the shark would not survive the night in the shallow puddle. Unable to reach park officials or her husband, Dunn made the daring decision to lift the shark by its tail and run it out to the surf as fast as she could.