Hammerhead shark falls from sky onto disc golf course in South Carolina

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a hammerhead shark.

A group of disc golfers witnessed a baby hammerhead shark fall from the sky while in the middle of a game in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, resident Jonathan Marlowe, 44, told ABC News.

Marlowe and three of his friends were at Hole 11 at the Splinter City Disc Golf Course in Myrtle Beach on the morning of May 18 when they saw an osprey carrying its latest catch in its mouth, he said.

The group watched as two crows chased the osprey into some trees.

When the osprey then dropped its breakfast, the group went to investigate. They assumed it was a fish at first, but the closer they got, they realized it was something more extraordinary: a baby hammerhead shark measuring about 1 foot long.

"I've never even seen a hammerhead in real life, and here's a baby one on the ground that literally fell out of the sky," Marlowe said.

The group was shocked to see the hammerhead on the golf course and alerted the only other people nearby -- disc golf players who were right behind them.

No one else was on the course at the time, Marlowe said.

It is unclear whether the shark was still alive when it was dropped from the sky, Marlowe said.

The disc golf course is adjacent to Myrtle Beach State Park and is about half a mile from the ocean, so the group considered taking life-saving measures to return the shark to the water. But ultimately, they decided against it due to the unlikelihood that the shark would survive the journey, Marlowe said.

The course is the perfect place to be out in nature, Marlowe said, adding that they often see wildlife during their time spent recreating there.

Wildlife such as snakes, raccoons and alligators are common sights on local courses, and Marlowe has seen owls perched on trees within the course as well, he said.

Several species of hammerhead sharks have been recorded off the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia, including bonnethead (Sphyrna tiburo), scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini), and great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran), according to a survey by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

A new species dubbed the Carolina hammerhead (Sphyrna gilbert) was discovered in 2013.