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.

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Wednesday, November 16, 2011: The New York Times

        I commented that the article about the clearing of Occupy protests in Tuesday's paper was disappointingly short, but today's issue of the Times cleared up any questions that I had yesterday. The front page today featured two stories on this subject: "Movement Looks for Ways to Extend Influence" and "Evicted by Police on Orders of Bloomberg." Throughout this entire movement, I have found it difficult to exactly define and understand a definite goal or mission of the Occupy Wall Street movement, but I think it has accomplished plenty: it attracted international attention. Protesters have been allowed to demonstrate their cause and disagreements for months now, starting in New York and expanding across the country, and then the world. By attracting attention to the idea that they are the "99 percent" controlled by the "1 percent," I think they have had influence on the upcoming presidential elections and political discussions. Although the Occupy movement may physically be over or ending in many cities, the idea will carry on, no matter what happens from now on.

Tuesday, November 16, 2011: The New York Times

        I was disappointed when I discovered that the article accompanying the picture on the front page was so short. The photo showed an empty tent encampment in Oakland, California that protesters had been cleared from. All along during the Occupy protests, city officials and police have been threatening to kick protesters out of the parks, but now it is beginning to actually happen. To me, it seems like this story is more newsworthy than this short article lets on. The article states that 32 people were arrested, which in the grand scheme of the Occupy movement is not a lot, but for arrests at one time, is a great number, in my opinion. The protesters plan on returning, so perhaps the clearing out of this park is not as successful as officials hope for, but should be something very interesting to follow up on.

Monday, November 14, 2011: The New York Times

        The article "Felons Finding It Easy To Regain Gun Rights" was one of the most horrifying and detailed stories I have read in a while. This article was incredibly lengthy and well researched, and I was impressed by the amount of time and work this reporter must have had to put into the article. The laws of the U.S. seem confusing and impractical to me, such as in this case of gun rights. It seems unbelievable that the government would allow criminals the right to so easily regain gun possession after having been convicted of any crime. I liked how this reporter so thoroughly presented case after case where a criminal regained gun possession, only to commit another crime. He gave facts while allowing the reader to develop an opinion of his or her own on laws that  seem to put the public in unnecessary danger.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011: The New York Times

        A common theme in the news right now seems to be resignation: first, the prime minister of Greece, now the prime minister of Italy, and not to mention Joe Paterno, the Penn State football coach. While I have been following the debt crisis in Greece and was not surprised to read that George Papandreou was planning to step down, I was surprised to read in today's paper that Silvio Berlusconi is also planning to resign. This article was very informative and provided a thorough background on Italy's economic problems, which I did not know as much about as Greece's economic problems. I also thought that the photo of Berlusconi is very fitting for this article; he looks stoic and somber, yet slightly defeated.
        The second resignation that I read about today was that of Paterno, who I have been trying to read about and stay updated on. The more details that are revealed, the more horrifying this story becomes. Paterno's lack of action is dishonorable, and he has done the right thing by stepping down from his position of power where he was supposed to be a role model.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011: The New York Times

        Two very big breaking-news stories were featured on the front page of the Times today: "Jackson Trial: Doctor Guilty in Star's Death" and "Penn State Criticized in Abuse Inquiry." The story about Michael Jackon's doctor has been a heavily discussed and debated issue in the news since Jackson's death, it has seemed. It seems fitting that this story began with a delayed lead, describing the doctor's effects on Jackson. This article gave important and interesting details of a very long and public trial.
       The other news-breaking story is about a sexual abuse scandal at Penn State that seems to have been going on since the late '90s. It seems unbelievable that the administration would try to cover up, or at least fail to report, numerous incidences such as these. University administration is supposed to concerned about its students, more than its reputation or staff. I thought the picture in the B section with the article that showed the student sitting on the steps with a sign calling for the resignation of the university president shows that the entire student body is upset over this situation, as they all should be.

Monday, November 7, 2011: The New York Times

        I loved the picture on the front page today because of the colors, composition, and depiction of the story that it represented. The description below the picture said that there were 47,438 starters, and this picture gives a good idea of the scene of the marathon. This picture intrigued me to turn to the special NYC Marathon 2011 section of the paper, where I learned much more than I had previously known about the marathon. Until I read the article about the winner of the marathon, I was unaware that the winners receive prize money for breaking records and winning, I thought that this race was about prestige alone.
        Back on the front page though, I was interested to learn that Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou plans to resign from his position. This has been a topic that I have been following, but not as closely as I would like to. I liked that this story began with a summary lead and did not hold the important information until later in the story, because it was written to provide basic facts to readers about an important ongoing topic.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011: The New York Times

        The picture on the front page fits the lead story perfectly today. The trial, described as very different from American trials, shows the courtroom in Haiti that looks much more colorful than a typical American courtroom. The people watching the trial look somber and hot in the crowded room while they sit or stand throughout the trial.
        This story included details, like those that I need to include more of in my stories. While the reporters included facts about the trial, they also included details and descriptions that made me able to picture the behavior of the people at the trial; for example, they described how observers cheered loudly and witnesses testified in the dark because of electricity problems. Details like these give the reader a better sense and feel of the trial, which is something that I need to try to incorporate more into my own articles.
        I also found it interesting that The New York Times has been involved in this story since 2010, and that the accused know this and have been threatening Times reporters. While it is partially terrifying that reporters have been threatened for doing their jobs, I also find it intriguing because clearly they are getting a rise out of the accused. The reporters are making stories known that people would rather not be told, which is exactly why the reporters are there.
        Another article that I liked was the one about the homeless people who are camping out at the Occupy Wall Street protest locations across the country. Although numerous articles about Occupy Wall Street have been written already, this one presented a different perspective than the others. This is a different issue that I have not read about in any previous articles.

Monday, October 31, 2011: The New York Times

        The first story that I read in the Times today was "Eye on Marathon, an Elite Runner Lives and Trains in New York." I have been thinking about which required stories I still need to write for class, and this story seems like a great example of a profile story. The reporter wrote about Buzunesh Deba because she is different: she is a runner from Ethiopia who is living in New York City while training for the New York City Marathon. The writer explained why this makes Deba different and important to pay attention to. She not only spoke to Deba, but also to other people to get their opinions and perspectives.
        This story seems like the perfect example of when to get a subject out of their office or usual environment, and get them moving while you interview them. It would be a good idea to interview a runner along her usual route, which could get her thinking about different things than she would in her apartment.
        The Arts section featured a different type of story than ususal: "'Jersey Shore' Arives in Academia. Discuss." The very idea that there was a conference about the show and then an article relaying this information is very interesting. This show seems to be one of the most highly criticized and made fun of on TV, so I found it interesting that a college would arrange a conference to discuss 'Jersey Shore'. In a way, I feel like it goes to show that America is becoming less intelligent, but at the same time it is important that the media and universities keep up with and examine what students are interested in.