This past Saturday, tragedy struck when 26-year old Arthur Medici was fatally attacked by a shark off Newcomb Hollow Beach in Cape Cod. This marks the first shark-related death in Massachusetts since 1936. According to local authorities, Medici was attacked around 12:30 pm by what they believe to have been a great white shark. He was immediately pulled from the water and given CPR and emergency first aid. He later died from his injuries at the Cape Cod Hospital.
Newcomb Hollow Local Joe Booth witnessed the attack, and helped Medici as his friend carried him to shore. “I was that guy on the beach screaming, ‘Shark, shark!’ ” Booth said. “It was like right out of that movie ‘Jaws.’ ”According to The Boston Globe, Booth attempted to use a tourniquet from boogie-board cords to stifle the bleeding from Medici’s injured legs.
While this attack has resulted in the first shark-related death in nearly a century, the frequency of other non-fatal shark attacks in Massachusetts has been increasing. Just last month, a man was attacked near Longnook beach but survived the ordeal.
As the local seal population has exploded, so has the population of great white sharks, who rely on the seals as a food source. Both species are protected by federal law, which will prove challenging for a booming tourist population.
Samantha Smith ’20, an Environmental Studies Major who was in Cape Cod the weekend of the attack, shared insight into the Cape’s history with sharks.
“Being a local I heard about the attack only 30 minutes after,” Smith said. She added that most beaches close for an hour after a shark sighting, but “the beach is still closed until further notice, which is new.” She believed a death would likely close the beach for the fall season.
When asked about her experience growing up around such vibrant and potentially dangerous marine life, Smith responded “I have always loved the sharks, they bring a balance back to the ecosystem and are just so cool. Most locals respect the sharks, as they help with our fishing industry. There are always fears about swimming, but most locals know where and when to swim.”
Marine wildlife populations have exploded in this area, which impacts tourism and the local economy. “As of right now, the seal populations have absolutely skyrocketed. The seal population is protected by the marine species act, so they are untouchable,” Smith explained.
She told how the seals brought in money for ecotourism because they are loveable and “cute,” but wreak havoc on the fisheries. The increase in seals has also led to a surge of great whites. “I’ve heard people talking about how there are more and more every year. Sharks are hanging around public beaches and closer to shore, and are getting bolder around boats, such as taking fish off of fishermen’s lines,” Smith stated.
She believes this increase will not deter beachgoers, but the recent death will impose stricter regulations. According to CBS News, some politicians have blamed lax rules against the shark populations for Medici’s death. Smith observed, “the news did a pretty good job of keeping the first shark bite of the summer from spreading like wildfire, but now that there’s been a death I’m afraid something is going to change.”