New York City ? A 5-foot-long shark scared hundreds of swimmers out of the water, but on Sunday its lifeless body washed ashore.

The thresher shark frightened crowds at Rockaway Beach on Saturday as it splashed along the Long Island shore.

Although it wasn’t believed to be a threat, hundreds of swimmers left the water and authorities closed a 10-block stretch of beach for hours.

The fish even came ashore at one point and several beachgoers pushed it back into the water.

“It was like freaking out. Its tail was flopping everywhere,” 10-year-old McKenzie Pontieri said. “It looked sick.”

Sunday morning, the dead shark washed ashore, and beaches in the area were reopened.