Despite the unfortunate end for the female shark, Beau & Co. Dog Adventures’ Jamie Ledbetter said in total about a dozen people tried to refloat the animal trapped at low tide by Coronation Hall.
"She ended up passing, but it was such a good effort on everyone’s part," Ms Ledbetter said.
About 11am, before heading out to pick up her first canine client of the day, the dog walker was passing through the hall parking lot when she saw what she thought was a dolphin.
"The tide was out and I saw two fins sticking out," she said.
"And I was aware Hector’s dolphins had been out and about in the harbour — the Port Chalmers, Portobello area — so that’s what I thought it was, a beached dolphin."
No-one else was around except for a Delta employee walking back to her truck.
However, as soon as she neared the animal she realised it was not what she thought it was.
Still, "even sharks" needed rescuing, so she grabbed its tail and with the help of the other woman managed to drag the animal out to a depth where it might have had a chance, she said.
Ms Ledbetter tried to reach the Department of Conservation (Doc), and when she could not, she tried the nearby New Zealand Marine Studies Centre.
By chance, a Doc truck drove by and stopped to help.
Then, a Marine Studies Centre staff member arrived.
Soon after, a team of Doc rangers appeared and tried to refloat the shark, she said.
The shark was put in a sling and for the next 30 minutes it was walked through the water to try to get it some oxygen.
Sadly, the animal died, Mr Edwards-Ingle said.
"She was a beautiful shark — she really was," he said.
A Doc spokeswoman said a Doc team was out in the field nearby doing sea lion tagging work, which was why they were able to attend so quickly.
It was not usual to see this species in shallow inshore waters, she said.
However, the species presented little or no risk to swimmers as it fed almost exclusively on baitfish and squid, she said.
