Click here for updates on this story
SCARBOROUGH, Maine (WBZ) — A 71-year-old lifeguard said he was dragged underwater by a great white shark last weekend at a beach in Scarborough, Maine.
It happened just days after more than half a dozen of the sharks were caught on video near popular beaches in the area over a 48-hour period.
The lifeguard, Greg Wilfert, was out swimming on patrol with other lifeguards at Scarborough Beach State Park around 1 p.m. Saturday when he said a shark grabbed his rescue torpedo.
“I thought I got caught in a boat propeller and it pulled me under, and I realized when I was going under there was no boat,” Wilfert told CBS News Boston. “And I knew what it was, I knew it was a great white.”
“It was frightening”
He said the shark dragged him about six feet underwater.
“The amount of force that pulled me under, I’ve never felt anything like that, never,” Wilfert said.
The lifeguard pulled off the strap to his rescue torpedo to break free.
“I immediately slipped out of the strap on my can and swum to the surface as fast as I could and then I just beelined it back to the beach,” Wilfert said.
A witness saw the rescue torpedo erupt around 6 to 8 feet out of the water as Wilfert swam to shore, according to Scarborough Police.
“It was frightening; I am not going to deny that,” Wilfert said.
Wilfert was not hurt and he returned to work Sunday. Scarborough Beach was shut down for about an hour after the incident but has since reopened.
“I was just screaming at people to get out of the water, because I didn’t know where that thing was,” Wilfert said.
A drone took to the sky and jet skis scoured the waves searching for the shark. 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 there had grown to more than a dozen. The white sharks appear to be juveniles ranging in size from 6 to 12 feet.
No other shark interactions have been reported in the area, but Scarborough Police said that the encounter is “very consistent with other activity we have seen.” The sharks have been spotted near the sandbar and shore at both Scarborough Beach and Higgins Beach.
Sharks in New England
New England Aquarium adjunct scientist John Chisholm explained that warmer waters are making the northeast 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 great 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’s a wild environment. You should avoid splashing, seals and schools of fish. They also said you shouldn’t swim alone and make sure to listen to the lifeguards.
“Stay close to shore. You don’t need to go out into the deep water; you’re asking for trouble,” Wilfert said.
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 the sharks are gone.
“The safety of residents and visitors remains our highest priority,” Scarborough Police said.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
