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South Carolina Teacher Catches Record-Breaking Shark

MUSTAFA OZER/AFP via Getty Images [Not an image of the shark from the story]

Gabrielle Temaat Contributor
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A South Carolina teacher caught a record-breaking shark on a fishing trip, according to Fox News.

Nikki Colwell reeled in the 173-pound spinner shark in April while on a fishing trip in Edisto Island with her father, according to Fox News.

Colwell caught several other sharks that day, but released them. The massive spinner was the last one she caught, according to Fox News.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources confirmed her catch as the largest spinner shark in the state, beating the previous record by two pounds, Fox News reported. (RELATED: Fisher In Florida Catches A Great White Shark From The Beach)

Colwell said the shark was difficult to reel in, as it thrashed around and broke her rod. She was able to get it in the boat after half an hour, according to Fox News.

Colwell and her father immediately drove to Charleston Harbor Marina to have the shark weighed on a certified scale, according to Fox News.

The reproductive organs and vertebrae of the fish were saved for a project being done by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. The shark’s remains will be used to estimate its age. Colwell’s family and friends ate the rest of the shark, according to Fox News.