BREAKING NEWS: Woman dies in a ‘shark attack’ off the coast of Maine
- U.S. Coast Guard was alerted to a shark attack in Harpswell at 3.30pm Monday
- Two Good Samaritans on kayaks were able to help the woman back to shore
- Marine Patrol says the woman was pronounced dead at the scene
- Experts say there’s only been one other unprovoked shark attack in Maine
A woman has died after she was apparently attacked by a shark off the coast of Maine.
The U.S. Coast Guard was alerted to a shark attack in Harpswell on Monday afternoon just after 3.30pm, Boston 25 reported.
Two Good Samaritans on kayaks were able to help the woman back to shore so she could be treated on land.
Marine Patrol says the woman was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.
The woman has not yet been identified pending notification of the family.
A woman has died after she was apparently attacked by a shark off the coast of Maine. The U.S. Coast Guard was alerted to a shark attack in Harpswell, Maine on Monday afternoon just after 3.30pm
Witnesses at the scene said the woman was swimming off the shore near While Sails Lane when she was injured in the suspected shark attack
The Maine Marine Patrol is now investigating what happened.
There were two women swimming in the water at the time of the suspected attack near While Sails Lane, witnesses said to News Center Maine.
One woman appeared to be ‘flung up in the air by something underwater’ and appeared to suffer severe injuries, a neighbor said.
The other woman also sustained injuries, though this has not been confirmed by police.
Police confirmed that the Coast Guard was in the process of sending a small boat in the rescue effort but stopped when they learned two kayakers helped bring those two people in the water back to shore.
Back at shore they were met by members of the Harpswell EMS squad.
Two Good Samaritans on kayaks were able to help the woman back to shore so she could be treated on land. Marine Patrol says the woman was pronounced dead at the scene
Swimmers and boaters are now being urged to use caution near Bailey Island and to avoid swimming near schooling fish or seals until further notice.
According to Dr. James Sulikowski, a professor at Arizona State University who conducts shark research in New England, there’s only been one unprovoked shark attack recorded in Maine.
‘Shark interactions with humans are very rare in Maine. My guess is that the person (who was attacked) was mistaken as a food item. In this area of Maine and depending on how close to shore the event occurred, my guess it was a white shark,’ he said to the Press Herald.
Sulikowksi said a seal was bitten on Sunday in Phippsburg, Maine by a shark and died later.