Shark Attack? Waltham City Councilor Helps Rescue Surfer

WALTHAM, MA — It could have been a scene from Jaws. But, thankfully, this one ended with no people missing arms or legs after a shark attacked a seal on the beach in Nauset Beach in Cape Cod thanks, in part, to a Waltham City Councilor who happened to be there.

City Councilor Pat O'Brien and his youngest daughter had just been in the water Monday afternoon before the eclipse. After about 45 minutes she went up on shore and then turned and yelled something he couldn't quite make out. He looked over at her on the beach while he stayed in the water - his back to whatever it was she was looking at and now as a crowd gathered near his daughter they, too, began yelling.

"Shark! Shark! Shark!"

O'Brien looked over his shoulder to see the shark attack a seal behind him.

"It was just pandemonium. This seal was making this screaming noise and blood was shooting up into the sky," he said.

He looked to his left and saw the seal was trying to make its way up to shore, but veered and looked as though it was bee-lining for two guys on surfboards just a bit away.

O'Brien wasn't wearing his glasses but he could see this was not going to turn out well for the surfers.

"I thought, 'oh my god this is bad. This is really, really bad'," said O'Brien as he saw the seal, the shark and then the two guys on boards. "The timing wasn't going to work, they didn't have enough time."

So he started running and yelling at the guys. They were out about 40 yards, though and couldn't quite make out what was going on.

Then they saw the blood in the water and started swimming for shore.

But one of the teen's tethers was getting tangled and it was slowing him down.

O'Brien instinctively made his way toward the teen as the young surfer cried out for help.

"Move it! Move it!" he yelled as he reached out and grabbed one arm and another man reached out and grabbed his other and they pulled the boy to shore as the shark and the seal swam close behind them.

As O'Brien walked out of the water one passerby shook his head and told him "close call," he remembers.

"You never know how you're going to react in these types of situations," said O'Brien from the safety of land and far from shore in Waltham Friday reflecting on the incident."It all happened so fast."

And perhaps, if he'd been wearing his prescription glasses, he jokes, he might not have run *into* the water while everyone else was running out Monday.

But maybe not, O'Brien's mother (who was celebrating her 53rd anniversary this past weekend with her husband at the beach) reminded him this week of the time when he was a child and a neighborhood dog named Noodles was attacking a friend. He ran and jumped on the dog to get it off his pal.

O'Brien has never seen a shark attack before and said he is glad the whole thing turned out OK in the end. He's been featured in news stories across the globe from Good Morning America, to news outlets in Japan, but the city councilor is taking all the attention in stride.

"It was all surreal," he said. But now it's back to work in Waltham. "We'll blame it on the eclipse."

The last shark attack on a person in Massachusetts was in 2012 off Truro in Barnstable County.But on Wednesday a paddleboarder was about 30 yards off shore of Marconi Beach in Cape Cod in about 3 feet water around 10 a.m. when a shark tried to take a bite out of his board, the Cape Cod Patch reported this week.

Shark Attack Dos and Don'ts

Shark attacks on humans are rare, in fact, the odds are about 1 in 12 million.

Most shark attack victims survive, as bites on humans by sharks are normally "exploratory."
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy has these tips to avoid great white encounters:

• Do not swim near seals
• Swim close to shore, where your feet can touch the bottom
• Swim, paddle, kayak and surf in groups
• Do not swim alone in the ocean at dawn or dusk
• Avoid isolation
• Limit splashing and do not wear shiny jewelry
• Keep your distance (at least 150 feet) from seals, whether they are resting on land or are in the water. It is against the law to disturb them
• Adhere to all signage at beaches where seals are resting
• Keep pets leashed. Inquisitive dogs can startle resting seals, resulting in seal bites or scratches to you or your pet
• Follow instructions of lifeguards
• Become familiar with the beach flag warning system
• Take time to read signage at the beaches

RELATED:

Great White Shark Chomps Seal Next To Swimmers: Video

Image via screen shot of video from the incident