A ‘quintessential Australian man’ stripped down to his underwear this week and pulled an injured Great White Shark – nicknamed Fluffy – off a Sydney beach and back out to sea.
Karl Bucholtz, 33, a Tradesman, was working on a house near popular Manly Beach when he noticed a group of people forming around the struggling shark.
Locals became familiar with the young male Great White last week after it washed up on the shore and was temporarily placed in an ocean pool.
So, when Mr Bucholtz spotted the distressed shark for a second time, he took off his clothes and ran into the sea to help, according to the Australian Daily Telegraph.
Astonishing footage shows the 33-year-old wade into the water, grab the shark by the tail and pull it toward the water until it can swim again.
After a few seconds, he is knocked over by a wave and forced to run for his life before the Great White can go after him.
He told the publication: ‘You can’t just stand there and watch it die.
‘I think he was that worn out and stressed that I don’t think he would have even tried to have a nibble.
‘It was just a young bloke looking for a hand.’
Mr Bulcholtz made four attempts at dragging Fluffy to safety, but was eventually aided by Manly Sea Life Sanctuary staff.
Karl Bucholtz (pictured) was branded the ‘quintessential Australian man’ after tried to save a Great White shark from death by dragging it back out to sea
The nail-biting yet touching moment on Manly Beach in Sydney, Australia was captured on camera
The 33-year-old (pictured) made four attempts to save the Great White before alerting beach staff to help him
The touching moment was filmed by Kristin Rogers, who posted the video on Twitter.
She said: ‘I thought it was amazing, although it did seem a little risky.
‘That is a quintessential Australian man.’
When asked if his friends had treated him to a beer for his bravery, Mr Bucholtz said he treated himself to a six-pack, but noted that he was just doing what he knew needed to be done.
The shark, nicknamed Fluffy, had already risen to fame after it was injured and transported to an ocean pool before being released back into the sea
Mr Bucholtz was working at a property opposite Manly Beach before he stripped down to his underwear and grabbed hold of the shark
Hit by a wave the tradesman (pictured) fell over and had to run away to stop the shark taking a snap at him