100 Years After The ‘Summer Of Shark Attacks’ In Beach Haven, New Jersey

Sharks have become one of the most fascinating and frightening creatures on planet Earth — some of it is due to sensationalism because of hit thriller movies like Jaws, while some is due to the fear of the unknown and what lurks beneath murky ocean water. The one question that many people have, especially the scientists who study them, is what triggers shark attacks on humans and if there is a reliable way to predict that occurrence and make people feel safe to swim in the ocean.

Due to mass media, every single shark bite around the world is reported in the news, which although few are fatal, makes the problem of “shark attacks” seem more of an issue than it really may be. Just the same, as we search for answers regarding these magnificent creatures, residents of Beach Haven, New Jersey, remember the “shark massacre” that took place there on the quiet shore 100 years ago this summer, killing and maiming several people. Scientists have also often looked to this singular event for clues about shark behavior, according to CBS.

Author and physician Richard Fernicola writes about the tragic circumstances of that summer in 1916, when there was no reason to believe that anything out of the ordinary would occur.

“America thought they were having one last golden gentle, innocent summer. But that wasn’t to be. The extraordinary nature of the attacks, the viciousness — in that period — still stands out. It stood out then, and it stands out even more, perhaps, in retrospect.”

On July 1, 1916, many beachgoers took to the sand and sea. It was a lovely day in Beach Haven. Occasionally people would spot a shark in the far off distance, far from where anyone ever was swimming, and there was never an attack — until this day. A 25-year-old accountant from Philadelphia, Charles Vansant, went for a swim and was viciously attacked by something — his attack was not witnessed — but after his body was found, physicians were certain it was a shark.

Still, no cause for serious alarm — strange things happen everywhere. Then, forty-five miles north of that beach, another young man was viciously attacked by a shark — and this one was witnessed. It was just five days after the first death, and this young man was a strong and sturdy bellhop who had been swimming beyond the breakers. It was enough to begin to cause a bit of panic of the Eastern United States beaches. Fernicola says the fact that two strong young men were killed in the prime of their lives was a major factor of distress.

“Here you had a case where there were no attacks for 50 or 100 years. And here you had two men in their 20s who were viciously mauled by a shark right in the beach zone. “

Twenty five miles up shore, a boat captain spotted a shark headed inland. Before he could warn anyone, the shark swam directly into a swimming hole that was popular with little boys, taking an 11-year- old boy under the water. The shark or the boy did not resurface. When the other boys went screaming for help, a 24-year-old man answered their call and dove into the water. He was suddenly grabbed by the same shark. The boy was dead, and the good Samaritan died of his injuries as well.

These events sent the United Stated into a panic — and a strong desire for retribution. Scientists still aren’t sure if the same shark was responsible for all four deaths, but they believe so, judging by behavior and bite marks. Fernicola said things turned even uglier.

“People set up bounty rewards for sharks. They used dynamite and took old spears and pitchforks and rifles and other weapons to try to hunt the shark. It was absolutely a frenzy. Sharks became American enemy number one.”

The actions of one shark in July 2016 may have been what started an extreme fear and fascination of sharks, who normally do not purposefully hunt humans, unless they feel threatened or something is wrong in their habitat. Scientists continue to try to identify what those factors may be.

[Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images]