Maine Lifeguard Recounts Being Dragged Under by Shark

A Maine lifeguard's close call with a shark has officials urging beachgoers to pay close attention in the water. Greg Wilfert says he was patrolling off Scarborough Beach State Park on Saturday when something latched onto his rescue buoy and yanked him about five feet under. He first thought he'd gotten tangled in a boat propeller, then realized there was no boat. "I slipped out of my harness and got to the surface and swam as fast as I could back to shore," he tells NEWS CENTER Maine. The 71-year-old—who WMTW reports has been a lifeguard there for 55 years—surfaced uninjured but called the experience "frightening."

CBS News reports the incident comes amid a spike in shark activity along the East Coast. Scarborough marine resources officer Daryen Granata says at least a dozen sharks have been spotted near popular local beaches in the past week. "This is a large volume, larger than I've seen, and I've worked this area for 30-plus years." Beachgoers are advised to steer clear of schools of fish, seals, or bird feeding areas; to avoid swimming alone; and to be aware that sharks can be found in shallow water near shorelines.