N.J. man catches 7-foot shark in kayak

This 7-foot shark was spotted off the Ocean City, N.J. coast on Aug. 15, 2012. / KYW

(CBS News) OCEAN CITY, N.J. - A South Jersey resident known as "Shark Tony" hauled in his biggest catch on Wednesday evening: a seven-foot shark.

Fisherman Tony "Shark Tony" Cutugno was searching the waters in his kayak about 200 yards from 58th Street pier in Ocean City when he spotted the shark, according to CBS station KYW in Philadelphia. He said he believed the creature was a dusky shark.

"I mean, they're all up and down here. They're always there. The sharks don't bite people or else you couldn't swim. But I just like to go out and watch the sun set and see if I can catch fish," he told KWY.

Fisherman "Shark Tony" dragged a 7-foot shark to the Ocean City, N.J shore on Aug. 15, 2012.

/ KYW

Mark Miedama, who worked as a member of the Ocean City beach patrol this summer, saw Cutugno trying to bring in the creature, adding that it was quite "frisky" to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Miedama, Cutugno and another bystander all pitched in to bring the shark to the shore. They then snapped some pictures and let the shark go.

"It showed a little bit of fight when it first got in, then it realized it had no chance on the beach so then we just set it free after we cut the line," Miedama said to KWY.

Luckily for Cutugno, this type of shark is not known to prey on humans.

"I know that they're out there all the time and they're apart of nature. But we're not on their menu, I guess you can say," Steve Reisen, a beachgoer, said to KWY.

Bill Kazmarck, a lifeguard who watches over the 58th Street beach, added to the Inquirer that sharks commonly swim in Ocean City waters, and Lt. Brian Booth assured beachgoers that the area remains safe.

Cutugno said that he would continue to search for even more sharks in the area.