Shark attacks, like the one that killed 26-year-old Arthur Medici on Saturday, are rare, but experts say a new risk area is emerging in Massachusetts.
A man was killed by a shark off Cape Cod over the weekend in the first fatal shark attack in Massachusetts since 1936.
The man, Arthur Medici, 26, of Revere, Mass., was attacked at Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet on Saturday, according to the National Park Service. He was pulled out of the water and taken to Cape Cod Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, officials said.
Officials were investigating the attack, but they suspect that Mr. Medici was killed by a great white shark.
Great white sharks, which can be up to 20 feet long, do not hunt humans but may mistake them for prey because they are about the same size as seals and other marine mammals, experts said.
“Pretty much every shark bite is an accident,” said Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the Florida Museum of Natural History. “It’s mistaken identity.”
The chance of being bitten by a shark is statistically low. Last year, there were 88 unprovoked shark attacks worldwide, including five fatalities, according to the program’s International Shark Attack File. The United States, with its long coastlines and busy beaches, has historically had the most attacks — overwhelmingly in Florida — followed by Australia, South Africa and Brazil.
Experts say a new risk area is emerging in Massachusetts, where a thriving marine life population is colliding with tourists in ways not seen in almost a century, since a teenage boy was fatally bitten while swimming in 1936.
The state, which has had just a handful of attacks since the 1800s, has now had at least two in a matter of weeks. Another man was bitten off Cape Cod last month near Longnook Beach in Truro, but he fought off the shark and survived.
Experts point to a thriving community of seals off Cape Cod, noting that as its population has grown, so has the population of its predator, the great white shark. Both marine mammals and sharks are protected by federal law, which has contributed to their resurgence.
“If you ask us if we’re surprised that this happened, well, we hope it doesn’t, but honestly, the probabilities go up when there are more sharks in the water,” Mr. Naylor said.
He said researchers had seen lots of sharks in Massachusetts waters in recent years, including many that are not full-grown. “When you see a very high percentage of young ones, then it’s usually a sign the population is coming back,” he said.
It is unusual, however, to see sharks traveling and attacking close to the shore. Sharks typically like to hunt in deeper water, according to Mr. Naylor, who questioned whether the larger population of sharks has forced smaller, less experienced sharks away from prime hunting grounds and closer to the beach.
Mr. Medici was attacked while he and a friend were boogie boarding, The Associated Press reported. Research shows that most victims are bitten while surfing or doing other water sports, which can attract sharks.
Mr. Medici had been a part-time student at Bunker Hill Community College in the Boston area, the school said in a statement. A GoFundMe page set up to raise money for funeral expenses said he was an engineering student who was active in his church and loved outdoor activities, including biking and surfing.
“Our lives are never going to be the same without him,” according to the page, set up by family and friends. “His laughter filled our home and he will be greatly missed by us all.”
Beaches in Wellfleet were closed for swimming on Sunday.
