A LIFEGUARD has saved the life of a shark that washed up on Bondi Beach by picking him up and placing him on his board — before paddling him out to the open ocean to fight another day.

The video shows two lifeguards carefully rescuing a Port Jackson shark in North Bondi, Sydney, that was struggling to get back out to sea Tuesday just after midday.

The shark had already negotiated the beach’s nets and had somehow found himself almost on the shore.

With the help of a colleague, the guard picked up the shark in the shorebreak, placed the shark on his board and then paddles out to sea.

The guard’s caring act on a busy day was met with the approval of the crowd, with beachgoers cheering on the lifeguard.

“Only in Australia,” one woman said.

“That’s fantastic,” another replied.

After returning to shore, the lifeguard couldn’t contain his joy from saving the shark.

“That was one of the most unreal things I’ve ever done,” he said.

When another lifeguard asked what happened, he said, “He [the shark] just went down. Then I went out.”

Videographer Steve Holland told Daily Mail Australia the lifeguard had to paddle a “fair distance” with the shark.

“He paddled out about 200-300 meters and then dropped the shark back into the ocean.

“There was a crowd of about 20 onlookers who were cheering him on back on the beach. It was great.”(SD-Agencies)