The director of Maine's Department of Marine Resources urges swimmers, surfers and other ocean goers to be aware of their surroundings and to "avoid schools of fish or seals."
Tragedy struck, yesterday, off Maine’s rugged coast when a Great White hit led to the state’s first ever shark attack fatality. The victim, identified as 63-year-old Julie Dimperio Holowach from New York City died from her injuries after being helped to shore by two kayakers who witnessed the attack.
Jeff Cooper, a kayak tour operator in the area, told the Associated Press, “They happened to be right there at the scene. They were courageous enough to jump in and retrieve the victim.”
Holowach had been swimming 20 yards off the western shore of Bailey Island when the attack occurred and pronounced dead at the scene.
Officials were able to confirm that the shark had been a Great White based on evidence from the Maine patrol and the medical examiners office. The last attack that took place in the state happened over ten years ago but did not involve a Great White.
Cape Cod, two hundred miles to the south, has seen such an increase in Great White activity in the last few years that officials warned this could be a “Summer of Blood.” Beaches have been closed, regularly, and swimmers warned of the dangers.
The director of Maine’s Department of Marine Resources urged swimmers, surfers and other ocean goers to be aware of their surroundings and to “avoid schools of fish or seals, which attract sharks.”
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Way more than that have it coming.
Julie Dimperio Holowach junior shabadoo
I grew up surfing that region, and know it well. Family still lives there. If that shark doesn’t get ya, the lack of opportunity/drinking culture/cabin fever/flat spells will. Though, it’s a remarkably beautiful place to burn fuel and time chasing waves – and occasionally (very occasionally) score dream-like waves with no one else out. 90% of the time, you’re getting completely skunked.
The distance between each spot is only a mile or so as the crow flies. But the coast is so sawtoothed and peninsulated, it’s an hour’s drive to check the next spot. This leaves plenty of space for arguing with your friend (Maine’s unofficial pastime) about exactly which spot you should check next – all while you race the massive tidal swings from the cockpit of a poorly heated beat-up truck; its floors buried in food wrappers, empty water bottles, roaches and some tools.
The local crew is sparse, pure, and have turned bullshitting into an art. Probably representative of what it was like surfing in the 60s or something. Amazing place to grow up as a surfer. Amazing place to leave.
Met a guy who used to surf there through the winters. Said the hardest part, (after surviving the 45 minute sessions), was getting the 5 gallon metal pails just the right distance from the fire on the beach to cook the Maine lobsters correctly. That and getting the butter soft enough to slather on using the same method.
Spot on..
An unbelievably beautiful place.
Just need to have a boat, and a snowmobile, to deal with the incredibly long flat spells.
When it’s good tho, she’s damn good 🤙🏼
This was very relatable
A terrible tragedy.
Question: Why are shark attacks always prefixed with ‘unprovoked’? How many provoked shark attacks are there?
It means the person wasn’t trying to engage with a shark.
Done some surfing up that way–beautiful coastline. Definitely not worth getting in the water off the Cape anymore, given how many sharks are around. Makes sense they’d be up in Maine, too.
The seal culling debate is pretty hardcore in Cape Cod. I’ve listened to some of the town hall meetings – it’s literally like a scene from Jaws
They tend to freak a bit around that way.