A lifeguard was dragged underwater by a shark over the weekend at a Scarborough, Maine, beach. It comes just days after more than half a dozen white sharks were caught on video swimming near popular beaches in the area over a 48-hour period.
The lifeguard, Greg Wilfert, was out swimming with other lifeguards on shark patrol at Scarborough Beach State Park around 1 p.m. Saturday when a shark grabbed his rescue device, dragging him around 6 feet underwater. Harbormaster and marine resource officer for Scarborough, Daryen Granata, said that the rescue device’s rope was tied around the lifeguard’s chest.
“I thought I was caught by the propeller of a boat because that’s the only thing I could think of until I realized there was no boat,” Wilfert told WGME. “All I did was pull off the strap and get to the surface and swim as fast as I could.”
Wilfert was able to safely release himself from the rescue device and swim to safety. A witness saw the rescue torpedo erupt around 6 to 8 feet out of the water as the lifeguard swam to shore, according to Scarborough Police.
“It was frightening, I am not going to deny that,” Wilfert said.
Wilfert was not injured during the interaction with the animal but was “shaken up.” Granata said that Wilfert was back at work on Sunday.
Lifeguard Greg Wilfert said he was dragged underwater by a shark in Scarborough, Maine.
WGME
Scarborough Beach was shut down by Wilfert for around an hour after the incident, but has since reopened.
“Scarborough Beach State Park is a unique area because they have their own lifeguards. They have a few UTVs on the beach. They have a drone up. They have a jet ski. They’re very, very aware of what’s going on over there,” Granata said.
Wilfert explained that they fly the drones every half hour, and they will send the jet ski over to the sharks. “The sharks don’t like the jet ski,” Wilfert said.
Biologists monitoring the area also believe that the number of sharks lingering in the area has grown to over a dozen. The white sharks are believed to be juveniles ranging in size from 6 to 12 feet.
No other shark interactions have been reported in the area, but police said that the encounter is “very consistent with other activity we have seen.” The sharks have been seen near the sandbar and nearshore areas at Scarborough Beach and Higgins Beach.
New England Aquarium adjunct scientist John Chisholm explained that warmer waters are making New England more hospitable to some sharks. He said it isn’t unusual to see sharks in the area at this time of year, but the number of white sharks is “surprising.”
“That’s more like numbers we see down when we’re tagging off of the Cape,” said Chisholm.
Experts recommend that anyone entering the ocean be aware that it is a wild environment and should avoid splashing, seals, and schools of fish. They also recommend avoiding swimming alone and listening to all lifeguard instructions.
The rising number of sharks is something that beachgoers are keeping in mind when they are heading to the coast.
“I don’t want to get eaten, but no problem. Sharks are sharks; they’ll stay out there, and I’ll stay here, no worries,” said Mark Coleman.
Biologists and officials will continue to monitor the area. Scarborough Beach State Park will remain on a red and yellow alert until there are no more sharks in the area.
“The safety of residents and visitors remains our highest priority,” Scarborough Police said.
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