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SCARBOROUGH, Maine (WMTW) — A Maine lifeguard who has more than five decades of experience survived an encounter with a great white shark in Scarborough.
Greg Wilfert, the park manager at Scarborough Beach State Park, was using a rescue torpedo in the water Saturday afternoon when a shark grabbed the flotation device and pulled him under the surface.
“I thought I was caught in a boat propeller, and I realized I wasn’t,” Wilfert said.
Wilfert was pulled about 5 to 6 feet down before he was able to free himself from the strap that was attached to the rescue torpedo. Although he did not see the shark, Wilfert knew that is what pulled on his flotation device.
“There’s no fish that’s going to do that,” Wilfert said. “It has to be a big fish or a shark. It had to be the shark.”
Wilfert was able to swim safely back to shore and get out of the water without further incident.
“I was hoping that it wasn’t coming back up to check me out,” he said.
A bystander told Scarborough officials that they saw the rescue torpedo come up about 6 to 8 feet out of the water, shortly after Wilfert had begun swimming back toward shore.
According to officials, the reported shark activity and circumstances surrounding the encounter are very consistent with other activity they have seen. The activity and circumstances have also been reviewed and corroborated by New England Aquarium shark expert John Chisholm. Wilfert tells Maine’s Total Coverage there have been more than a dozen shark sightings in the past few days.
Scarborough Beach State Park was closed to swimming for about an hour following the encounter, as lifeguards and public safety personnel assessed the situation and monitored the surrounding waters.
The park now has lifeguards closer to the shore to survey the water, a jet ski going across the ocean and a drone flying overhead. Guests also can only go waist-deep into the ocean.
“We’re not taking any chances,” said Wilfert, who is in his 55th year as a lifeguard at Scarborough Beach State Park.
Officials said there continues to be a significant number of great white sharks being observed in the water off Scarborough Beach State Park, as well as off Higgins Beach. People have seen multiple sharks moving through the nearshore waters and sandbar areas.
Last week, nearly a dozen young sharks were spotted off Pine Point Beach in Scarborough within 48 hours.
The Scarborough Public Safety Team said the presence of great white sharks in the area is an ongoing concern and has encouraged beachgoers to use caution when entering the water and do the following:
Pay close attention to lifeguards and posted beach advisories.
Immediately exit the water when instructed by lifeguards or public safety personnel.
Avoid swimming near schools of fish, seals or areas where birds are actively feeding.
Avoid swimming alone and remain aware of changing conditions.
Understand that shark activity can occur close to shore and in relatively shallow water.
Report any shark sightings to lifeguards or local public safety personnel.
Town officials said they will continue to monitor shark activity in Scarborough and share additional information with the public when warranted.
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