Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916
During the Jersey Shore Shark Attacks of 1916 between July 1 and July 12, 1916, along 80 miles of New Jersey Atlantic Ocean coastline, five swimmers were attacked by at least one shark, resulting in the deaths of three men and one boy. One victim survived.
Victims
- Charles Van Sant, 23 was killed on July 1, 1916, while swimming with a Chesapeake Bay Retriever in chest-deep water about 40 yards from shore at Beach Haven, New Jersey. It is believed that the particular paddling rhythm of the dog movements in the water was what attracted the shark to the scene.
- Charles Bruder, 27 was killed on July 6, 1916, while swimming approximately 130 yards from shore in Spring Lake, New Jersey
- Lester Stillwell, 12 was killed on July 12, 1916, in Matawan, 15 miles from the ocean in Matawan Creek.
- W. Stanley Fisher, 24 was killed by the shark after diving into the water in an attempt to save Lester Stillwell.
- Joseph Dunn, 12-year-old survivor of the July 12, 1916 attack in Matawan, New Jersey
All of these attacks occurred in less than 20 feet of water.
Shark
In recent years some have suggested a great white shark could have been the responsible species. Of course, since these were multiple attacks, more than one species may have been involved.[1]
Some contemporary accounts referred to the attacking creature as a "Seawolf", although technically a seawolf is a different type of fish, and not known for attacking humans.
Most of the evidence for the bull shark argument derives from the proclivity of that species to live and thrive in brackish water. Great white sharks are not known to swim in fresh or brackish waters, while bull sharks are well-known to inhabit fresh as well as brackish and salt water environments. The teeth of the bull shark and the great white shark are similar in shape and size, so mistaken identifications have been made.
Popular culture
- These attacks were the inspiration for the book and movie Jaws (1975).
- In 2004, a TV-movie based upon these events called 12 Days of Terror was made by Jack Sholder.
See also
References
General references
- Capuzzo, Michael (2002). Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916. New York: Broadway Books.
- Fernicola, Richard (2002). Twelve Days of Terror. Guilford, CT: The Lyons Press.