Follow Up Shark Story

                The shark responsible for two deaths off the island of Amity has been captured and killed. The beaches of Amity will reopen in time for the Fourth of July holiday.

                The scene at the pier was joyful and relieved as fishermen and residents gathered around the shark hanging on the dock.

                “I am delighted to report that the giant killer shark that has been blamed for two gruesome death this week, disrupting our normally tranquil island life on the eve of our great celebration… and claiming the lives of two of our wonderful young people, has been caught and killed,” announced Amity police chief, Martin Brody, in a press release  on July 4.

                The fishermen who caught the shark will “receive a $3,000 reward for their heroic and selfless efforts,” said Brody in his statement.

                At a special meeting to address the shark attacks, MaryAnne Kitner, mother of one of the victims, promised the $3,000 reward to whoever caught and killed the shark responsible for the death of her son.

                The shark was identified as a nurse shark by Matt Hooper, a shark expert and a marine biologist from Woods Hole, Mass. Oceanographic Institute. “Nurse sharks are among the most brutal and dangerous of all sharks and have been responsible for hundreds of swimmers’ deaths along the East Coast of the United States,” according to Hooper.

                Now that the shark has been caught, “all the beaches throughout our beautiful island will reopen immediately just in time for the flood of visitors for the Fourth of July weekend,” Brody said in his statement.

                However, there will still be shark spotter and other authority figures at the beaches as a safety precaution, Brody said.

While residents and tourists flocked to the beaches once they were reopened, there is still tension and panic evident. It appeared to be a normal day at the beach; however, there were less swimmers in the water than usual at the beginning of the day.

Shortly later, a possible shark fin was spotted, causing panicked swimmers to rush from the water. The “shark” was actually a prank played by local children.

Wayne Winston and Brad Kaplin, both 12, we sighted swimming underwater holding a wooden fin. When found by authorities, Wayne said, “He made me do it,” while pointing at Brad.

The false alarm resulted in no injuries.

If there are any new shark sightings, residents and tourists are urged to contact authorities at the toll-free shark hotline, 1-800-sharksee.

Shark Attack Meeting Story

             A special town meeting was held last night in Town Hall to address the tragic events that occurred in the past two days. Two Amity residents have been killed in what appear to be unprovoked shark attacks.

Yesterday, Alex Kitner, 10, was pulled under water and killed by a shark as witnesses, including his mother, stood by helplessly.

Monday morning, the body of Christine Watson, 17, was found mangled on the beach. The medical examiner stated that Watson’s wounds appear to be those of a motor boat accident, not a shark attack.

Watson’s body appeared to have been “severely mauled by an attacker of unknown origin,” Martin Brody, chief of police, said in a statement.

At the meeting, MaryAnne Kitner, mother of Alex, offered a $3,000 reward to anyone who is able to catch and kill the shark that killed her son.

Brody also announced that the beaches of Amity would be closed while extra summer deputies and shark spotters attempt to locate the shark. Larry Vaughan, mayor of Amity, said that the closures would be for only 24 hours.

Ben Quint, local fisherman, offered a solution to Kitner, Brody, and Vaughan; Quint said that he is capable of catching and killing the shark.

“We gotta do it quick… bring back your tourists,” Quint said in reference to the capture of the shark.

However, Quint presented a stipulation in his offer. For the $3,000 reward, Quint said that he would locate the shark, but would only capture and kill it for $10,000.

“$10,000 for me by myself… for that you get the head, the tail, the whole damn thing,” Quint said.

Sidebar

                Two deaths off the small island of Amity, Mass., not far from the seacoast of New Hampshire, have recently been attributed to unprovoked shark attacks. Although multiple attacks have occurred less than 150 miles from Durham, a shark attack in New Hampshire is unlikely.

                Monday morning, the body of Christine Watson, 17, was found mangled on the beach. The following afternoon, witnesses watched as Alex Kitner, 10, was pulled off his float and dragged underwater. His body has not been recovered.

                Shark attacks in the area, however, are not common. Before now, the last shark attack fatality in Mass. occurred in 1936, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida. There are no attacks or fatalities listed for the state of New Hampshire.

The risk for an average person to be attacked by a shark is about one in 11.5 million, according to the Museum.

Statistics show that a person in New Hampshire is more likely to be struck by lightning than attacked by a shark. Over a span of 35 years in the state, there were 76 lightning strikes, of which eight resulted in fatalities; over that same time period, there were no shark attacks or fatalities.

Shark Attack Articles

Original Article

              

               Early Monday morning, the body of Christine W. Watson, was found mangled on the beach in Amity Village. The cause of death is still under investigation, but a shark attack has not been completely ruled out, according to Martin Brody, Amity police chief.

                Watson was reported missing at 6 a.m. Monday by Christopher P. Hoggenbottam III, a sophomore at Trinity college and a former resident of Amity, who she was last seen alive with leaving a beach party at approximately 11 p.m. Sunday night.

Watson and Hoggenbottam “had been drinking heavily and possibly smoking marijuana,” according to witnesses.

                Hoggenbottam told investigators that he and Watson decided to go swimming at a remote section of South Beach near the South Beach Shoal bell buoy. He also told investigators that Watson was a member of the varsity swim team at Amity High School and was a lifeguard at the Amity Island YMCA pool in Oak Bluffs. Watson was a resident of Amity.

                A search was conducted in the morning after Watson did not return from the water and Hoggenbottam contacted authorities.

Watson’s body was found washed up on the beach and appeared to be “severely mauled by an attacker of unknown origin,” Brody said in a statement.

Watson’s wounds appear to be consistent with those of a motor boating accident, said Dr. Robert Nevin, the medical examiner. There is “no evidence of a shark attack,” said Nevin.

“Everything is a possibility,” said Brody, adding that a shark attack has not been completely ruled out.

Investigators have been questioning local boaters to determine anyone who may have been out on the water last night, said Brody. There are no current leads.

                According to Brody, no charges have been filed and the police are continuing their investigation of the incident.

                Larry Vaughan, Mayor of Amity, said that there is not much that authorities can do to keep swimmers safer at night because they are taking a risk by swimming in remote locations. 

                There will be no additional precautionary measures taken for the Fourth of July holiday, said Vaughan.

                The beaches of Amity village “will remain open for swimming pending the outcome of the investigation,” said Brody in a statement.

Updated Article

                Alex B. Kitner was killed at Village Beach at 2 p.m. today in what appears to have been an unprovoked shark attack, according to Martin Brody, Amity police chief. Alex’s death may be linked to the death of Christine W. Watson, who had previously been thought to have been killed in a motor boat accident. 

                Alex Kitner, 10, a resident of Amity, had been seen “floating on a rubber raft,” according to witnesses, when the attack occurred. The damaged raft floated to shore with what appeared to be a large bite out of it, but Alex’s body has not been recovered.

                Watson, 17, also a resident of Amity was last seen alive at 11 p.m. Sunday with Christopher P. Hoggenbottam, a sophomore at Trinity College and former Amity resident, when the two left a beach party and decided to go swimming at a remote section of South Beach.

                When Watson never returned from the water, Hoggenbottam contacted authorities around 6 a.m. Monday. Shortly after, Watson’s “mangled body was found… washed up on the beach,” said Brody in a statement.

                Examinations showed that Watson’s wounds appeared to be consistent with those of a motor boating accident, said Dr. Robert Nevin, the medical examiner. There is “no evidence of a shark attack,” Nevin said.

                Larry Vaughan, mayor of Amity, agreed with Nevin and said that there would be no additional precautionary measures taken to protect swimmers because Watson’s death appeared to have been a simple boating accident.

                In his original statement, Brody said that the “beaches will remain open for swimming pending the outcome of the investigation.”

                This afternoon, Brody released an updated statement. “We now believe that it may be possible that the Watson death could also maybe have been linked to possible shark activities in the vicinity of Amity. That investigation is ongoing.”

                At 6 p.m. today, a special meeting will be held in Town Hall by Brody; Amity mayor Larry Vaughan; and the Amity Board of Selectmen. New business scheduled in the agenda includes a discussion of Chief Brody’s plan to close the beaches on July 4; Kitner family reward of $3,000 for capture of perpetrators; and an offer by grizzled old fisherman Ben Quint to hunt down the shark thought to be the vile perpetrator of this tragic incident.