A 71-year-old lifeguard has survived a sudden attack by a great white shark after the ocean predator grabbed his flotation equipment and dragged him underwater at Scarborough Beach Park in the United States.
Greg Wilfert was conducting a routine swimming patrol off the coast when the shark seized a rescue buoy slung across his shoulder, pulling him down to a depth of approximately two metres before he managed to unbuckle the device and return safely to the surface.
According to a report by CBS News, Wilfert was uninjured during the underwater encounter and returned to his active lifeguard duty the following day.
Underwater Struggle Off the Coast
The incident occurred while Wilfert was actively swimming to monitor the designated water patrol area. Without warning, a powerful force latched onto his equipment and dragged him beneath the surface.
Wilfert said he initially assumed he had been struck by a boat propeller, but as he was pulled deeper into the water, he realised there was no boat nearby and recognised that a great white shark had attacked him.
The predator had clamped its jaws onto the lifeguard rescue buoy slung over his shoulder rather than striking the man directly. Describing the force of the pull, Wilfert said he had never experienced such an intense downward jerk in his entire life.
After shedding the buoy strap, Wilfert swam back to the surface unharmed. Following the attack, authorities temporarily closed Scarborough Beach Park to swimmers for approximately one hour as a safety precaution.
Rising Shark Numbers and Warming Waters
Marine biologists monitoring the coastal waters near Scarborough Beach Park reported that the local population of great white sharks has recently increased to 12 individuals. Experts attribute this growing presence of apex predators along the shoreline to rising sea water temperatures.
Great white sharks, also known as man-eater sharks, are large predatory fish found in temperate coastal waters worldwide. Ocean lifeguards frequently wear shoulder-strapped flotation buoys during swimming patrols to assist individuals in distress, a piece of safety gear that ultimately saved Wilfert from direct physical contact with the shark's teeth.
Recent Fatal Attack in the Caribbean
The encounter at Scarborough Beach Park comes amid heightened public concern regarding coastal shark activity. In a previously reported incident, 56-year-old Arlene Lillis was killed by a shark while snorkeling in the Caribbean islands, a fatal attack that took place directly in front of her husband.
