Shark attacks are in general a rare and unpredictable case of bad look for the unsuspecting victims. However, an attack which took place in New Jersey suggests that an individual shark was responsible for related serial attacks. The latest run of attacks in Sydney may have brought back bad memories for survivors such as Rodney Fox and Bethany Hamilton.
New Jersey 1916 Attacks
Between 1-12 July 1916 there were 5 victims in a series of attacks that were hailed as the ‘Twelve Days Of Terror’ in the book by Richard G. Fernicola. The nightmare began at the resort town of Beach Haven where Charles Vansant, aged 25, was swimming in the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Vansant was splashing around with his dog until suddenly the dog exited the water. Observers on the beach noticed a black fin approaching. Vansant suddenly flew across the water towards the beach as the water turned red. Two men and the lifeguard pulled his body to shore but he bled to death due to the bite wound on his thigh.
Five days later on July 6th, a Swiss bell captain named Charles Bruder was bathing 130 yards from shore just north of Beach Haven at Spring Lake. Again observers heard screams and a woman reported to the lifeguard that she could see a red canoe capsized. This was in fact Charles’s blood. He had both his legs severed around the knee by the shark and again bled to death.
July 12th 1916 in New Jersey proved to be the most fateful day of the shark attacks. It started with the sighting by retired sailor Captain Cottrell of a 10ft shark swimming in shallow waters at Matawan Creek. Although locals dismissed his claims as fantasy they were soon to be well founded. The victim was a 12-year-old boy named Lester Stillwell who was swimming with friends in the murky waters. As he floated on his back he was pulled underwater by the shark. The other boys ran for help and local dry cleaner Stanley Fisher dived in to try and rescue the youngster. Unfortunately neither Fisher or the youngster survived. Joseph Dunne was the final victim who was further downstream and also swimming with friends. The 12-year-old was bitten on his left leg as he tried to flee the water up a dock ladder amidst warning cries of an approaching shark. Luckily Joseph Dunne was the only survivor of the 1916 New Jersey shark attacks.
Two days later, on July 14th 1916, animal tamer Michael Schleisser caught a 7.5ft, 325 pound shark. When cut open, what experts identified as a great white shark, spilled out fleshy material and human bones weighing up to 15 pounds.
USS Indianapolis Attack 1945
During World War II the USS Indianapolis Navy Cruiser was sunk by Japanese torpedoes. Several days later there were 317 survivors found from nearly 1,000 crew members who were forced into the water wearing life-jackets. It is claimed by survivors that tiger sharks and oceanic white tip sharks attacked and killed many of the sailors, although the numbers of deaths relating to sharks attacks is disputed.
Surviving a Shark Attack
Probably the most infamous real-life encounter with a shark is that of Rodney Fox in Australia 1963. Fox was competing in a spear fishing competition when a great white viciously attacked. After being hit at high speed Fox was bitten around his torso in a savage injury that left all his left ribs broken and organs exposed, including the main artery from his heart. Indeed, he is a miracle survivor who needed over 360 stitches during surgery. Fox is now a film maker and expedition leader who oversees the protection of the great white predators, describing them as ‘beautiful animals’.
In more recent times, during 2003, local surfer Bethany Hamilton was attacked in Kauai, Hawaii whilst lying on her surfboard. This time a 14ft tiger shark severed her arm. Hamilton still bravely competes with the world’s top women surfers. In 2009 three shark attacks within a month have hit Sydney reminding the world that the threat from sharks is as great as ever.
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