Overview
- A veteran Scarborough lifeguard, Greg Wilfert, said a great white grabbed his rescue torpedo and pulled him about five to six feet underwater on Saturday before he freed himself and swam to shore without physical injuries.
- Scarborough Beach State Park was closed to swimming for about an hour after the August 8 encounter while lifeguards and public safety teams scanned the water with drones, jet skis and extra patrols.
- Officials report a significant number of juvenile great whites have been seen near Scarborough, Higgins and nearby sandbars in recent days, prompting temporary closures and purple warning flags at other beaches such as Reid State Park and Wells Beach.
- New England Aquarium expert John Chisholm and local marine officers reviewed the encounter and say the activity is consistent with recent sightings, advising swimmers to heed lifeguards, avoid schools of fish or seals, and leave the water when instructed.
- Scientists link the surge in nearshore sightings to seasonal movements plus a warming Gulf of Maine and recovering seal and fish populations, a trend that could mean more frequent close shore encounters through the summer and early fall.