Arthur Medici was pronounced dead Saturday from the first fatal shark attack in Massachusetts since 1936. The 26-year-old, who was bodyboarding along the shore, was attacked by an unconfirmed great white shark at Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet, per the New York Times.
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Like a scene straight from Jaws, an onlooking fisherman screamed “shark” upon spotting the dorsal in the water. After being bitten in the leg, Medici kicked the shark and was pulled ashore by friends. A tourniquet was quickly applied to stop the bleeding and Medici was promptly transported to Cape Cod Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
As tragic as these encounters are, they are also rare. Great whites do not specifically hunt humans and usually mistake us as prey when attacks occur. Statistically, your odds of a deadly encounter with a shark are 1 in 11.5 million, and those are odds are similar for most deadly attacks with other animals like bears and rattlesnakes.
About The Author
stash member Katie Lozancich
TGR Staff Writer and photographer. Fond of bikes, pow, and dogs. Originally from Northern CA, home for me has ranged from the PNW to a teepee in Grand Teton National Park.