List of fatal shark attacks in the United States

This is a list of fatal shark attacks that occurred in United States territorial waters by decade in chronological order.

Before 1800

Name, Age	Date	Species	Location, comments
Unknown man	August 1640	Unknown, possibly Bull shark	According to Jesuit priest Father Copley, a unknown English-born laborer went into the St. Mary's River, Maryland to cool off after a hot day, a reported "huge fish" came and killed him shortly after.[1][2][3]
Alexander Sampson	c. 1730	Unconfirmed, presumed great white shark	Sampson was on a pleasure excursion in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts when a shark attacked his boat, knocked him overboard, and devoured him.[4]
Unknown Male	June 1771	Unconfirmed, presumed great white shark	This man was in a boat off the coast of New England (location uncertain - either Maine or Massachusetts) with two other men when a shark came and bumped him out of the boat, biting him in two. His companions shot the shark and brought it ashore, where they cut it open and buried the man's remains.[5]
Nu'u-anu-pa'ahu	1779	Unconfirmed, presumed tiger shark	The victim was a young male who suffered a gash to one side of his buttocks following a shark attack at Maliu, Hawaii. The victim later died of his injuries at Pololū Valley Hawaii.[6]

1800s–1840s

Name, Age	Date	Species	Location, Comments
Unidentified male	Prior to September 3, 1816	Unknown, possibly Great White Shark	This young boy was swimming to shore from a boat at Bristol, Rhode Island, when a shark attacked him, pulling him under the water. A few days later, his body was found, lacking all of its limbs.[7]
Jemmy	June 24, 1817	Unknown	Jemmy, an elderly and enslaved fisherman, was swimming to a boat in Charleston, South Carolina, when a shark bit him in two just as he grabbed hold of the boat.[8]
Unidentified male	1828	Unconfirmed, presumed to be a tiger shark	The victim was riding surf near Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii at the time of the attack. The shark bit off most or all of the victim's limbs, while his torso was left floating in the water. The attack was reportedly witnessed "by a number of Hawaiian chiefs."[6]
Joseph Blaney, 52	July 12, 1830	Unconfirmed, presumed to be a Great white shark	While fishing from a dory 5 miles (8 km) east of Scituate, Massachusetts, Blaney was seen waving and calling for help. A large sea animal's body or head was seen lying on or across his boat, and it appeared that one of Blaney's arms had been disabled. Another fisherman went to Blaney's assistance, but before they could get to him, the shark resumed its attack and submerged both the boat and Blaney. The boat soon resurfaced, but all that was ever found of Blaney was his hat.[9]
Crew member of a pilot boat	c. 1840	Unconfirmed, presumed to be a Great white shark	Killed while treading water awaiting rescue after being accidentally thrown overboard in Charleston Harbor, Charleston County, South Carolina. Witnesses estimated the shark to be 25 feet (8 m) long.[citation needed]
Nickerson	Prior to September 10, 1845	Unknown	Nickerson was drawing a seine net near Pensacola, Florida, when a shark seized him.[10]
Mrs. Cracton, Mr. Mansfield	June 8, 1849	Unknown	Mrs. Cracton was bathing with another woman in Pensacola, Florida, when a shark bit her and pulled her into deep water. Mr. Mansfield heard their cries and went to their assistance. He was able to rescue the other woman, but was himself killed while trying to save Mrs Cracton. Mrs. Cracton's mutilated body washed ashore the next day. Mansfield's body was never recovered, but scraps of his clothing later washed ashore, "leaving but little doubt that he was devoured by sharks."[11]

1850s–1860s

Name, Age	Date	Species	Location, Comments
James Kinney	March 1851	Tiger shark	Killed while swimming in Honolulu Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii.[citation needed]
Charles Chambers	1852	Unconfirmed	Killed while wading ashore from a capsized vessel in Mount Pleasant, Charleston County, South Carolina.[citation needed]
Sailor	August 1852	Unconfirmed	This sailor attempted to desert from the USS Pennsylvania off Norfolk, Virginia. He jumped overboard with the intent of swimming ashore, but was almost immediately attacked and killed by a very large shark.[12]
Man	Prior to July 13, 1853	Tiger shark	This man was among several others who were bathing in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, when a large shark appeared. All the men made a break for their ship, and most managed to reach the vessel, except one, who was bitten in half "almost in reach of the oars". One of the man's friends dove into the water and killed the shark with a knife. The shark was dragged onshore and discovered to be pregnant.[13]
Capt. George Jacob Hanscheldt	1853 or 1854	Unconfirmed	Knocked overboard and killed by a shark near Fernandina Beach, Nassau County, Florida.[citation needed]
J.G. Luther, 21	March 16, 1859	Unconfirmed	Luther fell overboard from the whaling ship Jeannette off Kawaihae, Hawaii. It was reported that "the sharks had eaten him up" before help could reach him.[14]
Colonel Bryant	Prior to July 18, 1865	Unconfirmed	Bryant was killed while bathing off Brazos, Texas.[15]

1870s

Name, Age	Date	Species	Location, Comments
George Gates, 14	August 8, 1878	Unknown	Gates had gone crabbing with 16 year old Arthur Cole at Brooklyn, New York. Gates decided to go bathing and jumped off the boat. When he surfaced, he was crying for help. Arthur saw a shark he estimated to be 8 feet (2.4 m) in length biting Gates by the hip. Arthur threw a stone at the shark, and the shark swam off. Arthur pulled Gates into the boat and rowed ashore, where Gates was taken to the hospital. Five days later, Gates died.[16]
Arthur Cole, 16	August 9, 1878	Unknown, presumed to be a Bull shark	Cole was reportedly swimming from a boat in the East River, New York, when a shark attacked him. Cole's friend managed to pull him into the boat and paddle to shore, where he died of injuries. NOTE: It is possible that this attack is simply a repeat of the previous attack that was accidentally reported twice with slightly different details, in which Cole was the surviving companion who threw the rock at the shark and Gates was the boy who perished.[17]
Gus Ericsson	Circa 1879	Tiger shark	Ericsson was on a small boat that capsized after accidentally being struck by the sailing vessel Zephyr at the mouth of the Mississippi River, near New Orleans, Louisiana. While his other shipmates were able to cling to the capsized boat, he was flung farther away, and thrown a life ring by his shipmates. The rescue boat was just 100 feet (30 m) from him when a tiger shark raced up from the depths, seized Ericsson, and pulled him under. No trace of Ericsson was ever found.[18]

1880s

Name, Age	Date	Species	Location, Comments
William Smith, 23	June 13, 1881	Unknown	Smith fell off the schooner Laura Lewis roughly 10 miles southwest of South Island Light, which lies at the mouth of Mobile Bay, Alabama. Before help could reach him, a shark seized him and pulled him under the water. Several sharks were caught and killed in the vicinity over the next 12 hours, but none contained Smith's remains.[19]
Frank G. Hines	September 5, 1881	Unknown	Hines was thought to have been taken by a shark while bathing in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. His body washed ashore two days later.[20]
Aeronaut	1883	Unknown	A balloon attempted to land on the coast of South Carolina, but instead crashed into the ocean. A school of sharks proceeded to attack the aeronaut piloting the balloon.[21]
Captain's Boy	Summer of 1883	Unknown	This boy, described as "a good-sized lad", fell off the rigging as his ship came into Fort Pickens, Florida. The crewmen heard a scream and ran to the ship's rail, only to see a red cloud in the water. They managed to find the boy's body, but it was missing its head and limbs.[22]
Captain Mark Robinson	July 26, 1885	Unknown	Robinson's ship, the schooner Pohoiki, capsized off the coast of Kau, Hawaii, killing his wife and son, and leaving the crew in the water. Two sailors made it to a boat that the schooner had been towing, but before they could rescue their shipmates, sharks attacked Robinson and the remaining survivors. Robinson sustained fatal injuries to his legs, and the two sailors with him were also bitten, one of them losing most of his left arm. Robinson's body was initially recovered, but was afterwards thrown overboard.[23]
James Edward Hamilton	October 18, 1887	Unknown	Hamilton disappeared while trying to cross the Hillsboro Inlet, Pompano Beach, Florida, leaving behind his boat, mailbag, and clothes. A fisherman named Waring claimed to have seen Hamilton's boat being bitten by sharks, and while Hamilton attempted to defend himself with his oars, he was ultimately knocked out of the boat and killed. While some accounts claim that his body was never found, others state that it was discovered at the inlet minus its head and limbs.[24]
Eddie Roe	Prior to July 21, 1889	Unknown	Roe was swimming with a group of 15 other boys in Fernandina Beach, Florida, when a shark bit his calf. He died from blood loss before medical assistance was obtained.[25]

1890s

Name, Age	Date	Species	Location, Comments
Male	Prior to October 6, 1894	Unconfirmed	Two men decided to desert their ship, the Evarest, off the coast of Mobile, Alabama, and tried to swim to a skiff. Before the men reached the skiff, one of them was killed by a shark, although the other sailor managed to escape.[26]
Charles Beattie, 26	August 11, 1895	Unknown	Beattie was fishing from a yawl roughly one mile offshore of Weekapaug, Rhode Island, when he decided to go for a swim. Beattie was swimming away from the boat when a distressed look came across his face. His companion, Andrew Taft, attempted to rescue Beattie, but Beattie was pulled under the water and never resurfaced. It is believed he was killed by a shark.[27]
Unidentified Man	1896	Unknown	This man was killed while swimming to shore from a "filibuster" with two other men off the coast of (presumably) Florida.[28]
Nahalehau, 35	July 25, 1896	Unknown	Nahalehau was spearfishing “not far from shore” off Kahului, Hawaii, when his foot was bitten by a shark. He managed to drag himself ashore before dying, likely of exhaustion and blood loss. His body was found on the beach within half an hour of him last being seen alive.[29]
Sailor of the Nomad	1898	Unknown	The schooner Nomad capsized in a storm - likely off the coast of Alaska - with the loss of all hands. Its overturned wreck later washed ashore at Kohala, Hawaii, containing the remains of a crewman partially eaten by sharks. He may have drowned before being consumed.[30]
Ah Hol	October 28, 1898	Unknown	Hol, a convict, jumped from the steamer Kinau off Kohala, Hawaii. The police officer guarding him did not inform the ship's crew until they were a mile or more from the location. When the Kinau finally turned around to look for him, all that could be seen was Hol's straw hat and "a large shark swimming leisurely about."[31]
Delano Wood, 15	August 15, 1899	Unconfirmed	Killed by a 10-foot (3 m) long shark while swimming in the Trout River, Panama Park near Jacksonville, Florida.[citation needed]
Five Japanese Fishermen	Prior to August 23, 1899	Basking shark	A group of Japanese fishermen were fishing for basking sharks off Monterey, California. One shark was harpooned, and pulled two of the boats for some distance. When it stopped, seemingly exhausted, the fishermen moved their boats up alongside it. The shark then lashed out and struck the first boat with its tail, killing two men and leaving it swamped. It then hit the second boat, crushing it, and pulling it underwater. The boat resurfaced with a single survivor clinging to it - in the course of the encounter, five men had been either killed outright or drowned.[32]

1900s

Name, Age	Date	Species	Location; Comments
Emil Uhlbrecht and an unidentified person	July 14, 1900	Tiger shark	Uhlbrecht was swept out to sea while hunting seashells with friends at Makapuu Point, Oahu, Hawaii. His positively identified foot was recovered from a tiger shark measuring 11 feet 9 inches (3.58 m) long which had been caught off Kakaako, Oahu by John Kinipeki on September 17. The shark's stomach also contained a femur and pelvis thought to belong to another person, possibly one of several Chinese fishermen who had drowned in the harbor a few months prior.[33]
Unidentified Coast Guard Personnel	1900–1905	Unconfirmed	Killed while fishing for red drum at Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina.
Mail Carrier	Prior to 1902	Unknown	This man was canoeing at Mosquito Inlet, Florida. He was swept out by a current and his boat capsized. Several days later, his body was found, with its limbs bitten off by sharks. It is possible that he drowned before being consumed.[34]
Hawaiian boy	August 2, 1902	Tiger shark	Killed while catching crabs at Kalihi, Oahu, Hawaii. Both arms were severed.[33]
Phil Kitchin	c. 1903	Tiger shark	Killed while fishing at Koko Head, Oahu, Hawaii. His foot was recovered two days later from a shark.
Unidentified man	1904	Tiger shark	Man disappeared while swimming off Diamond Head, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. A shark was caught two days later with the head and body of a man (complete from the waist down with the exception of one leg) in its gut. The shark was described as "monstrous" in size.
Chester Kennedy	July 27, 1904	Unconfirmed	Kennedy was swimming off the coast of Texas, perhaps in Galveston, when he shrieked and was pulled underwater. His body was never recovered. He is believed to have been killed by a shark.[35]
Sutton Davis	July 29, 1905	Unconfirmed	Killed while wading at Davis Shore, east of Beaufort, North Carolina.
Student	June/July 1906	Unknown	A young student from Saint Stanislaus College went swimming off Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. He was about a half-mile offshore when a shark pulled him under the water. A week later, fishermen in the area caught a shark with his remains.[36]
William McFlood	August 4, 1906	Unconfirmed, possibly bull shark	McFlood fell overboard from a schooner in Tangier Sound, Maryland. His body was found a week later, nearly bitten in two. It is believed he was taken by a shark almost immediately after falling in.[37]
Crew Member	Prior to October 10, 1906	Unknown, possibly a tiger shark	At a seaport approximately 90 miles from Honolulu, Hawaii, a small boat broke away from a coastal schooner - lying about a quarter-mile from shore - and started sailing downwind. The boat's four-man crew then jumped into the water and swam after it, but by the time they reached the boat, one of them was missing. When they returned to the schooner, the remaining sailors reported that they "had seen bloody water...and an enormous shark swimming about."[38]
Skipper	Prior to October 10, 1906	Unknown, possibly a tiger shark	A skipper and his boat capsized in the waters between two Hawaiian Islands. While clinging to his upside-down boat in the water, his legs were bitten off by a shark. While he was able to pull himself onto the boat, he died of blood loss.[39]
Belton Larkin	March 26, 1907	Bull shark	Killed after a shark, which had been chasing a tarpon, leapt into his small skiff breaking it apart near Punta Gorda, Charlotte County, Florida. The shark bit his side nearly cutting him in two.
Japanese fisherman	1907	Unconfirmed, probably a tiger shark	Fell into the water and killed by a shark while net fishing near Pepeekeo, Honomu, Hawaii.[33]
Japanese fisherman	January 8, 1908	Unconfirmed	Killed by a shark while gathering fish stunned by dynamite in Mana, Kauai, Hawaii.[33]
John C. Williams	May 10, 1908	Unconfirmed	John C. Williams’ “mutilated” body was recovered off Marathon, Florida, in the Florida Keys. It was clear sharks had bitten his body, but shark involvement prior to death is not confirmed.[40]
Walter Howe	June 8, 1908	Unconfirmed	The steamer Caribee capsized in the waters off the State of Georgia. While swimming back to a lifeboat after recovering oars, Howe's crewmates saw him suddenly disappear under the water. Numerous sharks had been seen in the water that day.[41]
Ah Kim Chong, 19	April 10, 1909	Unconfirmed	The woman was reportedly swept away by large waves while gathering opihi along the rocky shoreline at Pauwela, Maui, Hawaii. A search party later witnessed a large shark devour what appeared to be part of the victim's body.[42]
William Craug	August 13, 1909	Unconfirmed	Craug was killed after falling overboard from the fishing schooner Halcyon off Pensacola, Florida.[43]

1910s

Name, Age	Date	Species	Location; Comments
Unidentified male	1910	Unconfirmed	This victim was attacked while fishing at Hilo, Hawaii.[44]
Jules Antoine	September 20, 1911	Unconfirmed	This victim fell overboard and was killed by a shark while swimming in Pensacola Bay, Santa Rosa County, Florida.
John Bloomquist	September 23, 1911	Unconfirmed, probably a bull shark	Bloomquist was killed by a shark in the Galveston, Texas, ship channel after he jumped overboard to rescue a companion.
George Spencer	October 26, 1911	Unconfirmed	Spencer was seen struggling with shark before being pulled underwater after falling overboard from the steamer Rio Grande off Charleston, South Carolina.[45]
Edward Coffee, 12	August 30, 1912	Unconfirmed	Coffee, an excellent swimmer, was swimming with some boys at Tybee Island, Georgia, when he suddenly disappeared while swimming to deeper water. His death was blamed on a shark.[46]
Soldier	July 12, 1913	Unconfirmed	This man was killed off Charleston, South Carolina.[47]
Okomoto	March 3, 1914	Unconfirmed	Washed into the sea while picking opihi at Honomu, Hawaii, Okomoto was killed by two large sharks.[44]
Peter Kontspaulas, 17	September 9, 1914	Unknown	Kontspaulas was swimming approximately 190 yards (170 m) offshore in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, when he was attacked by a shark. He managed to fight the shark off in a long battle of approximately 20 minutes. He was rescued and put into a boat, but he died before reaching shore.[48]
Charles Vansant, 23	July 1, 1916	Unconfirmed, experts are divided whether it was a bull or juvenile great white shark[49]	Attacked while swimming in chest-deep water about 40 yards (40 m) from shore at Beach Haven, New Jersey, Vansant died on the beach of a severed femoral artery after being pulled from the surf. The incident was recorded as the first known shark attack in United States waters[50]
Charles Bruder, 27	July 6, 1916	Unconfirmed, experts are divided whether it was a bull or juvenile great white shark[49]	Bruder was killed while swimming approximately 130 yards (120 m) from shore in Spring Lake, New Jersey. Both legs were bitten off.[50]
Lester Stillwell, 11	July 12, 1916	Unconfirmed, experts are divided whether it was a bull or juvenile great white shark[49]	Stillwell was killed while swimming with playmates in Matawan Creek, a narrow, brackish, tidal river near Matawan, New Jersey.[50]
Watson "Stanley" Fisher, 24	July 12, 1916	Unconfirmed, experts are divided whether it was a bull or juvenile great white shark[49]	Attacked while trying to recover Lester Stillwell's body in Matawan Creek, New Jersey, Fisher died at Monmouth Hospital in Long Branch, New Jersey, a few hours after the attack.[50]
J.L. Hanscom	October 11, 1916	Unknown	Hanscom caught a “large shark” in a net off the coast of Sewall's Point, Florida, in the morning. He attempted to take in the shark alive when it severely bit his left leg. He died following a surgical amputation of the leg.[51]
William Sinker	July 18, 1917	Unknown	Sinker was killed while diving “before hundreds of spectators” at Key West, Florida.[52]
Tadaicai Mayamura	November 1918	Unconfirmed	Mayamura, a Japanese worker fishing off the coast of Papaikou plantation in Hawaii, was swept off a rock by a large wave. Mayamura was later heard crying for help and seen struggling in the water in the presence of a shark dorsal fin. His body was not recovered.[53]
Unidentified male	April 6, 1919	Unconfirmed	This fisherman was knocked into the water and killed in the Florida Keys.

1920s

Name, Age	Date	Species	Location; Comments
Dorothy MacLatchie, 18	June 17, 1922	Unconfirmed	Killed by a "monster fish", MacLatchie was floating next to the Municipal Pier in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Miss Bourne	December 15, 1922	Unconfirmed	Bourne died after her leg was bitten by a shark in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Professor Winslow	November 21, 1924	Unconfirmed	Winslow died after both legs and arms were severely bitten by a shark in Santurce, Puerto Rico.
William J. Goins	May 18, 1926	Great white shark	Goins was attacked while swimming off Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii. Witnesses describe Goins as giving a loud shriek before suddenly disappearing beneath the surface. His remains were recovered from a 12.5-foot (3.8 m) great white shark captured off Kahuku.[44]
Charles Burke, 18	August 24, 1926	Unconfirmed	This victim was killed by a shark in Sea Bright, New Jersey.
Two Young Boys	Prior to January 22, 1928	Unconfirmed	Two stowaways jumped off the Norwegian steamer Vela in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida to attempt to swim to shore. They were thought to have been killed by sharks, although this has not been confirmed.[54]
Earl Devore, 38	November 12, 1928	Unconfirmed, possibly great white shark	Devore was killed when his arm was severed after the lifeboat he was in capsized during the sinking of the SS Vestris, roughly 200 miles off the coast of Virginia.[55]

1930s

Name, Age	Date	Species	Location; Comments
George Gaspar	September 2, 1931	Tiger shark	Gaspar was swept out to sea by strong currents while fishing at Kāhala, Oahu, Hawaii; his remains were recovered from the stomach of an 18-foot (5.5 m) shark near the Naval Air Station Barbers Point.[44]
Thomas N. Martin, 24	April 10, 1933	Unconfirmed, probably a bull or tiger shark	Martin was killed in the surf at Miami Beach, Florida.
Richard Clark Best, Jr., 11	June 20, 1934	Unconfirmed, probably a bull or tiger shark	Best was killed while standing in the surf at Melbourne, Florida.
Jere W. Fountain, 38	September 21, 1935	Bull shark	Fountain was killed while swimming in Browns Inlet on the New River near Onslow Beach, North Carolina.
Middle-aged Man	June 6, 1936	Unconfirmed	This man was killed while swimming roughly 300 yards (270 m) from shore in Pinellas County, Florida.[56]
Joseph Troy, Jr., 16	July 25, 1936	Great white shark	Attacked while swimming at Hollywoods Beach, Mattapoisett, Massachusetts. Troy, a summer visitor from Dorchester, was grabbed and bitten by a 6-foot (1.8 m) shark and dragged underwater less than 50 feet (15 m) from shore. The badly injured youth was rushed to St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford. He died on the operating table that night while surgeons were amputating his left leg. According to witness Martin Smith, Troy, along with a family friend, had been swimming out from the beach to meet the Black Cat, a catboat that had just picked up its mooring after a morning sail, when the shark attacked. The Black Cat's owner, Hubert Fisher, jumped into his dinghy and, with the help of the other swimmer, Walter Stiles of Boston, got the boy aboard and took him to the beach. Using an old wooden door as a stretcher, neighbors carried the badly injured teen to a car and he was rushed to the hospital. Smith stated that the wind had been from the southeast the day before the attack, a condition that roils the bottom and results in poor visibility. That could, in his view, have been a critical factor, producing an instinctive reaction from the shark when it saw the flash of a swimmer's white leg. The Standard-Times report of the incident said Joseph Troy was still conscious when he was wheeled into the operating room for the amputation. The attending surgeon, Dr. E.D. Gardner, said the boy told him he was horrified not so much by the bite as the thought of being dragged down while in the grip of the shark. In the aftermath of the attack, beaches around Buzzards Bay were deserted and swimming came to a halt along much of the Massachusetts coast, the newspaper reported. Although the attack was without precedent, sharks had previously been observed in Buzzards Bay. Just a week earlier, a 6-foot (1.8 m) shark had been caught in Marion Harbor.
A. Thompson, Jr., 16	June 16, 1937	Unconfirmed	Killed by a shark while swimming in the ocean in about 4 feet (1.2 m) of water near Galveston, Texas. Thompson's right arm was torn off and his right leg and thigh were mangled.
Three Crewmen	November 13, 1937	Unconfirmed	Three men were reportedly killed by sharks after the Greek freighter Tzenny Chandris capsized off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.[57]
John Heagan	May 3, 1939	Unconfirmed	Heagan was swept off the British freighter Huncliffe several hundred miles southeast of Cape Henry, Virginia, by a freak wave. While swimming back to the ship, he was suddenly pulled underwater. It is believed he was killed by a shark.[58]

1940s

Name, Age	Date	Species	Location; Comments
Petty Officer Isadore Stessel	July 18, 1943	Unconfirmed	The airship K-74 was shot down by a U-boat roughly 40 miles east of Islamorada, Florida. The crew were discovered the following day, but just before being rescued, Stessel, the bombardier, was killed by a shark.[59]
John Kuntsler	May 8, 1945	Unconfirmed	Kunstler was killed while swimming in Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina.
Ralph Reginald Rives, Jr., 20	August 4, 1947	Unconfirmed, probably a bull shark	Attacked while swimming in a canal 10 miles (20 km) north of St. Augustine, Florida, Rives' leg was severely bitten. The Jacksonville papers initially and erroneously reported this as a barracuda attack. He died in the hospital after attempts to save him were unsuccessful.
Neil Womack	February 13, 1948	Unknown	Womack's plane crashed in the ocean near Brownsville, Texas. He died three days later after being attacked by sharks when he fell out of his life raft.[60]
Clide Osborne, 46	July 1, 1948	Unknown	Osborne was in a boat 50 yards (46 m) offshore in Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands when he either fell or jumped off the boat while intoxicated. He refused to climb back onto the boat, but then started to yell he was being attacked by a shark, and was pulled underwater. His body was never recovered.[61]

1950s

Name, Age	Date	Species	Location; Comments
Gilbert S. Hotta	January 16, 1950	Tiger Shark	While fishing, Hotta was swept into the sea by a large wave near Kahakuloa, Maui, Hawaii. Three large tiger sharks were seen in the area on the day of the accident. His torso was recovered from a "huge tiger shark" caught there three days later.[62]
Pedro Guzman, 25	June 6, 1950	Unknown	The plane Guzman was on crashed roughly 275 miles northeast of Miami, Florida. When trying to swim to the rescue boat, Guzman was attacked and bitten by a shark five times. He died about 10 minutes after being pulled onto the rescue boat.[63]
Alejandro Nodura	June 25, 1951	Tiger Shark	Swept out to sea while fishing at Kapehu Beach, Hawaii, the victim was last seen in the shark's mouth.[62]
Male Pan Am pilot	1952	Unconfirmed	Killed while swimming near Key West, Florida, the man was bitten in the groin area.
Survivors of the wreck of the "Spare Time"	July 27, 1952	Unknown, possibly Great White, Blue, or Oceanic White Tip.	This incident took place 14 miles from shore off the coast of Santa Monica, California, in very rough seas. After the engine of the boat failed, several men tried to repair it. However, the boat exploded, and it sank. The next day, 3 men out of the 12 were rescued from shark-infested waters. The others are presumed to have drowned, died in the explosion, or been killed by sharks.[64]
Shigeichi Kawamura	August 3, 1952	Tiger Shark	Kawamura disappeared while swimming between the Ala Moana channel and Kewalo Basin, Oahu, Hawaii. A shark bite was found on the right side of his body.[62]
Gerbacio Solano, 40	December 3, 1952	Tiger Shark	Solano was killed by an extremely large shark described by witnesses as being in excess of 22 feet (6.7 m) while swimming from his fishing boat, setting nets, at Maile Beach, Oahu, Hawaii.[62]
Arthur Barry Lyle Wilson, 17	December 7, 1952	Great White Shark	Wilson was attacked at approximately 2:00 p.m. while swimming near Lover's Point, Pacific Grove, California, with a friend, Brookner W. Grady, Jr., 15. Wilson was some 25 yards (23 m) from shore in 30 feet (9 m) of water.[65] Wave faces averaged 8 feet (2.4 m), with 6–8 feet (1.8–2.4 m) of visibility in the 55 °F (13 °C) water.[65] Suddenly, a 12–15-foot (3.7–4.6 m) shark attacked Wilson, thrashing him and lifting him several feet into the air. Grady swam to his friend's aid and began gouging the shark's eye with a hunting knife.[66] Four other swimmers helped pull the unconscious Wilson onto an inner tube, reaching shore some 20–30 minutes later with the shark circling the entire way.[67] By then, Wilson had bled to death. His right leg was nearly bitten off in the attack; he also suffered a severed femoral artery, gashes to his left thigh, torso, and back, and a large chunk was torn out of his right buttock. The wounds suggest Wilson was bitten at least four times.[65] The attack, which was witnessed by scores of beachgoers, was at the time considered to be the first "authenticated" attack on the California coast.[65]
Gordon S. Chun	April 8, 1953	Unconfirmed, probably a tiger shark	Swept into the sea while fishing from shore, Chun's recovered body was mutilated by sharks. He may have drowned near Wailupe, Oahu, Hawaii.[62]
Harold Souza, 15	July 26, 1953	Tiger shark	Souza was killed while spearfishing off Maile Beach, Oahu, Hawaii. A 10-foot (3.0 m) shark was observed in the vicinity.[62]
Capt. Kosuo Mizokawa, 27	January 6, 1955	Unconfirmed, probably a tiger shark	Mizokawa was attacked after diving overboard and swimming near the stern of the Japanese-flagged trawler Taiyo Maru near the Van Camp Seafood Company tuna cannery in Pago Pago Harbor, Tutuila, American Samoa.[68][69]
Jose Alengo, 13	July 28, 1956	Unknown	Alengo was 30 to 40 feet (9.1 to 12.2 m) from shore at 10:30 in the morning floating in an inner tube off Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, when his brother speared a shark, which then proceeded to attack Alengo. Alengo died after his left leg was severed at the knee.[70]
Jose Luis Nufize Lago, 13	Prior to August 15, 1956	Unknown	Lago was skin diving off the northern coast of Puerto Rico when a “school of sharks” attacked him, severing one of his legs.[71]
Peter Savino, 25	April 28, 1957	Great White Shark	Savino was killed at approximately 1:30 p.m. while swimming with a friend, Daniel Hogan, 22, off Atascadero Beach, Morro Bay, California.[72][73] After being swept out some 300–600 yards (270–550 m) from shore by a strong tide, the two started a swim back, though Savino began to tire. As Hogan towed Savino, a shark appeared and nudged Savino with enough force to draw blood. Aware of the imminent danger, the men started a furious race to shore, but when Hogan looked back to check on his friend, Savino had disappeared. The U.S. Coast Guard sent a launch to the area, and Executive Officer James C. Knight reported seeing a 20–21-foot (6.1–6.4 m) shark swim by, though by the time the crew had returned to the spot with armaments, the shark had disappeared.[74] Despite the following day's search, Savino's body was never recovered. This attack bears similarities to the attack on Robert Pamperin in June 1959 by a similarly large white shark.[74]
Rupert Wade, 57	July 15, 1957	Great White Shark	Wade was killed while swimming in the surf at Atlantic Beach, Salter Path, Carteret County, North Carolina.
Angel Escartin, 35	July 10, 1958	Unconfirmed	Autopsy report concluded Escartin was bitten by a shark off Key West, Monroe County, Florida, while still alive.
William S. Weaver, 15	December 13, 1958	Tiger shark	While surfing near the Mokulua Islands off Lanikai, Oahu, Hawaii, Weaver was killed when his leg was severed. Rescue personnel recovering his body two hours later observed a 15–18-foot (4.6–5.5 m) shark in the vicinity.[62]
Albert Kogler, Jr., 18	May 7, 1959	Great White Shark	Kogler was killed while swimming in less than 15 feet (4.6 m) of water off Baker Beach, San Francisco, California.
Robert Lyell Pamperin, 33	June 14, 1959	Great White Shark	Pamperin was free-diving with a friend, Gerald Lehrer, 30, for abalone at Alligator Head, La Jolla Cove, La Jolla, California. The men were 55 yards (50 m) from shore, diving at a depth of 36–42 feet (11–13 m); the water temperature was 68 °F (20 °C) with 23 feet (7 m) of visibility.[74] Around 5:10 p.m., Lehrer heard Pamperin screaming for help, his thrashing body momentarily upright and waist-high out of the water before submerging. Lehrer dove and spotted a 22 ft (7 m) shark thrashing Pamperin in its mouth.[74][75] Lehrer dove several times in a futile effort to scare off the shark before swimming to land. The attack was witnessed by several people onshore. An extensive search by police divers and the Coast Guard failed to recover Pamperin's body; only a single swim fin was found. He was seen being swallowed whole, feet-first.[76]
Lt. James C. Neal, 26	August 15, 1959	Unconfirmed	Neal was free-diving with four friends in the Gulf of Mexico about 6 miles (9.7 km) off Panama City, Florida. Neal's friends surfaced and threw him a line after entering their cruise boat; Neal, however, failed to climb up. One of the men, Gary Seymour, 21, went back into the water to search for Neal, but was "attacked by two big sharks", managing to escape by hiding in a crevice in the coral reef.[77] Navy divers from the U.S. Naval Mine Defense Laboratory found Neal's swim fins, face mask, and lead diving weights, all showing bite marks. Neal's swim trunks and parts of his undershirt were also found, bloodstained and ripped.[78] His body was never recovered. Charter boat captain Charles House reported his crew baited and hooked two 12-foot (3.7 m) sharks some 300 feet (91 m) from Neal's last known location about an hour before he vanished.[77]

1960s

Name, Age	Date	Species	Location; Comments
Young Marine Recruit	August 1960	Unconfirmed	This victim was killed while swimming from camp off Parris Island, South Carolina.
Sarah Sargent, 51	November 22, 1960	Unconfirmed	Sargent died after falling overboard in turbulent waters off St. Lucie Inlet, Florida. Her body “mangled” by sharks washed up later. She probably drowned before being scavenged.[79]
Harold Riley	December 27, 1960	Tiger shark	Swept out to sea while net fishing at Maile Point, Oahu, Hawaii, Riley was seen being attacked by a 20-foot (6.1 m) shark. His body was recovered off the coast of Nanakuli.[80]
William J. Dandridge, 23	June 24, 1961	Unconfirmed, probably a bull or tiger shark	Killed while scuba diving and spearfishing 9 miles (14 km) east of Key Biscayne, Dade County, Florida, the left side of Dandridge's torso, including the left arm, was devoured.
Jacob Horn, 45	October 1961	Unconfirmed, probably a bull or tiger shark	Presumed killed by a shark; Horn's mutilated body washed ashore near Boca Raton, Palm Beach County, Florida.
Hans Fix, 40	August 19, 1962	Bull shark	Fix was killed while surf fishing in waist-deep water at Andy Bowie Park, Padre Island, near Port Isabel, Texas.
Roy C. Kametani	April 8, 1963	Tiger shark	Kametami was swept out to sea while picking opihi at Hapuna Beach, Hawaii. Parts of the body were later recovered. The victim may have drowned before being consumed.[81]
LTJG John W. Gibson, 25	April 20, 1963	Galapagos shark	Gibson was attacked at about 1:30 p.m. roughly 33 yards (30 m) from shore while attempting to swim across Magens Bay, Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Water conditions were calm with a temperature of approximately 82.4 °F (28 °C) and a depth of 40 feet (12 m).[82] A vacationing tourist acquainted with Gibson, Donna M. Waugh, 25, aided him in swimming to shore, but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 2 p.m.[83][84] Gibson's wounds included a dismembered right hand, a mangled left shoulder, and a badly bitten right thigh and hip (including a severed femoral artery).[82] The next day, a 10-foot (3 m) male Galapagos shark was baited and hooked in the bay, its stomach containing Gibson's missing hand and other human remains; the shark's jaws are now on display at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez's marine laboratory.[85]
Unidentified male	September 20, 1967	Tiger shark	This victim lost at sea when his boat capsized in the waters between the Hawaiian islands of Oahu and Molokai. Part of the victim's remains were recovered from the stomach of a captured 11-foot (3.4 m) tiger shark.[80]

1970s

Name, Age	Date	Species	Location; Comments
Ernie Reathaford	March 31, 1970	Unconfirmed, probably a tiger shark	Swept out to sea by strong surf, Reathaford was bodyboarding at Waimea Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. A 15–18-foot (4.6–5.5 m) shark was observed in the area.[86]
Rodney Temple, 23	October 14, 1972	Oceanic whitetip shark (two)	Temple was scuba diving with partners Bret Gilliam and Robbie McIlvaine in calm 80 °F (27 °C) water with 150 feet (46 m) of visibility some 300 yards (270 m) from shore.[87][88] The experienced divers were retrieving research samples from Cane Bay, Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. At a depth of 210 feet (64 m), they noted two oceanic whitetips circling them.[88][89] Gilliam and McIlvaine began ascending to the surface first, momentarily decompressing on a reef ledge at 175 feet (53 m) before noticing bubbles rising from Temple's position below. Gilliam descended and saw a 12-foot (3.7 m) whitetip biting Temple's left thigh, and the second larger shark attacking immediately afterward and severing Temple's lower left leg.[88] Gilliam grabbed Temple's shoulder harness and began kicking to the surface, but the sharks pulled the two men deeper to 400 feet (120 m), tearing into Temple's abdomen and pulling him out of Gilliam's arms.[88][89] Gilliam and McIlvaine successfully surfaced and survived; Temple's body was never recovered. This may be the deepest shark attack on record.[87]
Billy Horne, 10	July 2, 1974	Oceanic whitetip shark	While adrift after the yacht he was in caught on fire and sank, Horne was killed by a shark in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida.
John Carter, 17	July 20, 1974	Unconfirmed	Carter was killed by a school of small sharks while swimming in the Back River on the southern end of Savannah Beach, Chatham County, Georgia.
Grace Conger, 62	July 30, 1975	Unconfirmed	Conger died from blood loss after being attacked by sharks when her fishing boat sank off the coast of Oregon.[90]
Stephen C. Powell	July 16, 1976	Unconfirmed, probably a tiger shark	Killed by a shark while scuba diving off Koloa, Kauai, Hawaii, only the lower portion of Powell's body was recovered.[86]
Danson Nakaima	1976	Bull shark	Nakaima was presumed to have been killed while scuba diving for black coral at a depth of 180 feet (55 m) off Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. Approximately 30 large sharks were later seen near his partially devoured remains.[86]
Unidentified male	1979	Unconfirmed, probably a tiger shark	This victim disappeared while fishing from shore at South Kohala, Big Island, Hawaii. Police divers only recovered the elderly man's severed hand and a flashlight.[86]

1980s

Name, Age	Date	Species	Location; Comments
Roger B. Garletts	May 21, 1981	Unconfirmed, probably a tiger shark	Garletts disappeared while scuba diving and spearfishing at a depth of 60–80 feet (18–24 m) in murky, choppy water at Haena Beach Park, Kauai, Hawaii. His recovered dive gear and shredded wetsuit, which bore numerous teeth marks, were suggestive of a fatal shark attack.[91]
Christy Wapniarski, 19	August 10, 1981	Unconfirmed, probably a bull or tiger shark	A catamaran Wapniarski was riding on had capsized the night before off of Daytona Beach, Volusia County, Florida. She was presumably killed by a shark while attempting to swim to shore at daybreak.
Mark Meeker, 26	September 15, 1981	Unconfirmed, probably a bull shark	Meeker was killed while swimming between Anna Maria Island and Egmont Key State Park in Tampa Bay, Manatee County, Florida. He was found dead the next day. He had taken off his bathing suit to use the drawstring as a makeshift tourniquet on his right calf.
Lewis Archer Boren, 24	December 19, 1981	Great White Shark	Boren was attacked on December 19 while surfing alone at South Moss Beach, Spanish Bay, Monterey, California. He was last seen by friends at approximately 2 pm, after they surfed together that morning.[92] The next day, two surfers stumbled upon Boren's kneeboard, which had washed ashore at Asilomar State Beach with an 18-inch (46 cm), crescent-shaped bite taken out of one side; the board's missing piece was found nearby.[92] Analysis of the bite mark showed the presence of embedded teeth fragments from a great white shark. At 11 a.m. on December 24, Boren's body was spotted by a park ranger near Pacific Grove, about 0.62 miles (1 km) north of the attack site.[92] Boren, who had been wearing a dark wetsuit, was believed to have been lying on his yellow kneeboard in 10 feet (3 m) of water just beyond the breakpoint, when a great white shark struck from the left side, biting through both Boren and his board. Water conditions were rough, with average temperatures for that time of year with grey skies and deteriorating visibility.[92] Boren was bitten once, his massive wound extending from beneath his left armpit to just above the hip, and stretching more than halfway across his body, likely killing him instantly. This attack was notable for the size of the shark involved; experts concluded this shark to be around 23 ft (7.1 m) long. The specimen was never found or identified, and is considered the largest white shark ever recorded with verifiable evidence.[92][93][94]
John Lippoth, 27, Mark Adams, 42	October 27, 1982	Unconfirmed	The two victims were crewing a 58' yacht in the ocean somewhere off of Ocean City, Maryland. Also on board were additional crew members: Meg Cooney, Brad Cavanagh, and Deborah Scaling Kiley. Soon after departing Maryland, the yacht was caught in a major tropical storm. The severity of the storm forced the crew to abandon ship in heavy seas. The crew managed to board a rubber dinghy with no motor, survival equipment, food or water on board. During the abandonment of the ship Meg Cooney sustained serious injuries. After some time with no food or water both of Lippoth and Adams opted to drink salty sea-water in an attempt to slake their thirst. Shortly afterwards both of them began to hallucinate and then jumped overboard. The two were soon thereafter killed and devoured by a group of sharks which had been circling their dinghy for several days. While awaiting rescue Meg Cooney succumbed to her injuries and also died. The remaining two crew members were eventually rescued by a Soviet ice-harvesting ship.[95]
Omar Conger, 28	September 15, 1984	Great White Shark	Conger was attacked at 8:30 a.m. while free-diving for abalone with a friend, Chris Rehm, 33, in 15 feet (4.6 m) of water about 164 yards (150 m) from shore near Pigeon Point, between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz, California. The men had been in the water for about 20–30 minutes before the attack occurred. Water conditions were calm, but visibility was less than 3.3 feet (1 m).[74] Conger was struck twice, with the shark initially thrashing and pulling him underwater before resurfacing and swimming away. Rehm pulled Conger onto an inflatable surf mat, but Conger bled to death before they could reach shore.[96] Injuries to Conger's thighs were extensive (both femoral arteries were severed), and his hands and buttocks were severely bitten; the wounds suggested that the Great White was at least 16 feet (4.9 m) long. Conger's black wetsuit may have increased the likelihood the shark mistook him for a seal.[97]
Male diver, 67	August 1985	Unconfirmed	This victim was presumed to have been killed by a shark in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida. His body was never recovered. Some of his equipment – a diving regulator, swim fin, and bathing suit – were found, showing teeth marks. [citation needed]
Levi Chandler	April 20, 1986	Unconfirmed	Chandler was fishing from the rocky shore at Kalihiwai Point, Kauai, Hawaii, before falling into the water and disappearing. Police divers searching the area encountered a large shark swimming in the vicinity and retrieved floating pieces of clothing and human flesh. The victim may have drowned before being consumed.[81]
Daniel Kennedy	April 15, 1987	Unconfirmed	Kennedy was presumed to have been killed by a shark while swimming out to an anchored sailboat near Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. While his body was never recovered, his swim trunks were found bitten in half on the seafloor.[81]
Avery Goo	April 15, 1988	Unconfirmed	This victim's 21-foot (6.4 m) powerboat capsized in turbulent water off the coast of Waihee, Maui, Hawaii. Pieces of human flesh consisting of stomach, intestines, and pancreas washed up along the Waihee shoreline several days later.[81]
John P. Martin, 38	September 13, 1988	Bull shark	Martin was killed while snorkeling around Shell Island near Panama City, Florida. A 10-foot (3 m)-long bull shark had caused fatal thigh and hand wounds.
Tamara McAllister, 24, Roy Jeffrey Stoddard, 24	January 26, 1989	Great white shark	McAllister was killed while kayaking off the coast of Malibu, California, with her boyfriend, Roy Jeffrey Stoddard. McAllister's body was found floating face down two days later, with large sections from her legs and buttocks missing; no trace of Stoddard was ever found.
Ray Mehl, Jr.	October 14, 1989	Tiger shark	This victim was scuba diving with a partner at a depth of 27 feet (8.2 m), about 750 feet (230 m) from shore near the HECO power plant at Kahe Point, Oahu, Hawaii. He had been in the water for 10–15 minutes before vanishing around 4:30 p.m. His partner conducted a search of the area where water visibility was around 30 feet (9.1 m), but could not locate Mehl. The following morning, a decapitated body was spotted by rescue divers 200 feet (61 m) west of Mehl's last known location, but before it could be retrieved, a large tiger shark suddenly appeared and proceeded to devour what remained of the body. Mehl's partner noted the parrotfish had been exhibiting "unusual behavior" just prior to his disappearance.[98]

1990s

Name, Age	Date	Species	Location; Comments
Roy T. Tanaka	February 17, 1990	Tiger shark	Tanaka was scuba diving and spearing parrotfish with his partner, Jake Hernandez, at a depth of 40 feet (12 m), about 600 feet (180 m) from the shore. The victim vanished around 9:30 p.m. at Mokapu, near the Marine Corps Air Station, Honolulu, Hawaii. Diving equipment was later found. The next day around 3 p.m., a floating body (which was missing its left arm) was sighted from a helicopter in the waters between Mānana Island and Makai pier. Several large sharks, apparently reacting to the helicopter's presence, proceeded to devour all but the body's torso and legs before it could be retrieved.[98]
Suk Kyu (Steve) Park	November 19, 1991	Tiger shark	Park was swept out to sea by a large wave while fishing from the rocky coastline at Maliko Point, Maui, Hawaii, at around 4:30 p.m. Described as very healthy and a strong swimmer, Park was treading water before signaling his son to call for help. Rescuers arrived about 30 minutes later, by which time the victim had disappeared. His body was never recovered, although his shorts and shirt were discovered the following morning by rescue divers with large portions missing from the left side, consistent with an attack by a 12-foot (3.7 m) tiger shark.[99]
Martha Joy Morrell, 41	November 26, 1991	Tiger shark	Fatally attacked around 9 a.m., Morrell was attacked while snorkeling 100 yards (91 m) from shore on west side of Maui, Hawaii, at Olowalu, less than a mile from Camp Pecusa. The attack by the 8–11-foot (2.4–3.4 m) tiger shark occurred in 10–15 feet (3.0–4.6 m) of water and was witnessed by victim's snorkeling partner and groundskeeper. Morrell's body was recovered and later autopsied at Maui Memorial Hospital by the County Coroner. Injuries included amputation of left arm at the shoulder, right forearm, left leg above the hip joint, and right foot/lower leg.[100]
Bryan Adona, 29	February 19, 1992	Tiger shark	Adona was presumed to have been killed in the late afternoon by a tiger shark when he did not return from bodyboarding west of Waimea Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. There were no witnesses to the attack; however, his bodyboard was found the following morning with a 16-inch (41 cm) crescent-shaped piece missing that experts said was made by a large tiger shark. Numerous witnesses, including the last person to see Adona alive, reported seeing a large shark in the vicinity prior to the attack.[101]
Aaron A. Romento, 18	November 5, 1992	Tiger shark	Romento was attacked and killed while bodyboarding at 9:45 a.m. in shallow, clear water approximately 90 feet (27 m) from shore off Keʻeau Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii. His right leg was severely bitten in three places by a 10–12-foot (3.0–3.7 m) tiger shark, and he died of blood loss a short time after swimming to shore.[102]
Daniel McMoyler	December 1993	Tiger shark	On January 11, 1994, McMoyler's remains washed up on the beach at Waipio, Hawaii. He is thought to have been killed by an 8-foot (2 m) tiger shark while surfing sometime during the previous month.
Jim Broach	January 31, 1994	Tiger shark	Broach was killed while surfing at Velzyland on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.
Michelle von Emster, 25	April 16, 1994	Great white shark[103]	von Emster was killed while swimming off Point Loma, San Diego, California. The San Diego County medical examiner's office ruled she was killed in a shark attack; however, some in the law enforcement community have questioned this conclusion and feel she may have been murdered and dumped in the Pacific Ocean.[104]
James Robinson, 42	December 9, 1994	Great white shark	Robinson was killed while diving for sea urchins off Harris Point, San Miguel Island, California. The shark was estimated to be 17–19 feet (5.2–5.8 m) feet long.
William Covert, 25	September 13, 1995	Bull shark	A scuba diver, Covert was presumed to have been killed by a 10–12-foot (3.0–3.7 m) bull shark near Alligator Reef off Islamorada, Monroe County, Florida. His body was never recovered.
James Willie Tellasmon, 9	November 21, 1998	Tiger shark	Killed while swimming off Ocean Beach, Jaycee Park, Indian River County, Florida, US Coast Guard Station Fort Pierce recovered the body the following day. The nature of the wounds allowed experts to conclusively establish the shark was a tiger shark, about 6 feet (1.8 m) long.[105]
Nahid Davoodabai, 29	March 18, 1999	Unconfirmed, presumed to be a tiger shark	This unconfirmed fatal attack occurred in channel waters off the west coast of Maui, Hawaii. The victim's husband, Manoucher Monazzami, stated to authorities that he and his wife were blown offshore while kayaking late in the afternoon. Their double kayak capsized repeatedly in rough channel waters, and Davoodabai was soon unable to get back onto the kayak due to fatigue. She was attacked at dusk by a "large shark", losing her arm. Monazzami was unable to control his injured wife's bleeding or keep her body on the kayak due to ocean conditions. Monazzami was found two days later on nearby Kahoolawe island with the kayak, paddles, and a life jacket. His wife's body was never recovered. Some investigators did not believe this version of events.[106]

2000s

Name, Age	Date	Species	Location|; Comments
Thadeus Kubinski, 69	August 30, 2000	Great White	Kubinski was killed while swimming in Pinellas County, Florida. Witnesses said Kubinski had jumped into the water from the dock behind his home for his daily swim and was splashing vigorously. The shark raced toward him with its dorsal fin out of the water. He died from massive blood loss and organ damage before rescuers could get to him. The shark was estimated to be 9 feet (3 m) long and weigh 400 pounds (181 kg).[107][49]
David Peltier, 10	September 1, 2001	Bull Shark	Peltier was killed while surfing with his father and brothers at Sandbridge Beach, south of Virginia Beach, Virginia. He died of severe injuries to the lower leg.[108]
Sergei Zaloukaev, 28	September 3, 2001	Great White	Zaloukaev was killed while swimming with his girlfriend in the surf off Avon, Hatteras Island, Dare County, North Carolina; his girlfriend, Natalia Slobodskaya, was severely injured in the attack, but survived.[109][108]
Eric Reichardt, 42	September 16, 2001	Unconfirmed, possibly a bull shark or tiger shark	This death was officially classified as a drowning by the Broward County, Florida, medical examiner's office; however, it is listed as a fatal shark attack by the International Shark Attack File. Reichardt drowned while diving on the wreck of the Ronald B. Johnson in 270 feet (82 m) of water 2 miles (3.2 km) off Pompano Beach, Florida, while fighting off a shark. His diving regulator may have fallen out of his mouth, causing him to drown.[110]
Deborah Blanche Franzman, 50	August 19, 2003	Great white shark	Franzman was attacked at approximately 8:15 a.m. while swimming in 15–20 feet (4.6–6.1 m) of water 75 yards (69 m) off Avila Pier, Avila Beach, California.[111][112] She was bitten on the left hip and lower right leg by a shark estimated to be 16–18 feet (4.9–5.5 m) long.[113] According to witnesses, Franzman was swimming with seals alongside a line of buoys in a full wetsuit before the animals "suddenly scattered".[112] Franzman screamed for help after the shark struck twice and swam off, but apparently lost consciousness and drifted face-down in the water before lifeguards pulled her to shore, by which time she had died of blood loss.[114] Her wounds included a severed femoral artery.[113] Franzman was only the second shark-related fatality in San Luis Obispo County history since the April 1957 death of Peter Savino.[114]
Courtney Marcher, 22	April 4, 2004	Unconfirmed, possibly a tiger shark	Marcher disappeared while surfing at Velzyland, the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, around 8:45 a.m. Her undamaged surfboard was found 3 miles (4.8 km) off Kaena Point by a fisherman three days later, 18 miles (29 km) north of her last known location and consistent with currents.[115] Unusual serrated markings on the board's ankle leash were suggestive of shark involvement,[116] but analysis by the state Shark Task Force proved inconclusive, with experts divided as to what the marks represented.[115][117] Police reported Marcher had a history of seizures and may have run into trouble in the water, although she had been taking medication to control epilepsy and had no recent history of illness.[115][117] On the day she vanished, wave faces averaged 6 feet (1.8 m), but she was described as healthy and a strong swimmer.[115][117]
Willis R. McInnis, 57	April 7, 2004	Tiger shark	Attacked while surfing off Pohaku Park, Maui, Hawaii, McInnis died a short time after the attack as a result of blood loss from severe wounds to his right thigh and calf.[118]
Randy Fry, 50	August 15, 2004	Great white shark	Fry was killed while diving for abalone with a friend in 15–20 feet (4.6–6.1 m) of water 150 feet (46 m) from shore off Mendocino, California, near Kibesillah Rock. His headless body was recovered the next day. His head washed ashore 2 miles (3.2 km) north on September 3. The bite radius was 18 inches (46 cm), allowing experts to extrapolate the shark was 16–18 feet (4.9–5.5 m) long.[119][120]
Jamie Marie Daigle, 14	June 25, 2005	Bull shark	Daigle was killed while swimming with a friend on boogie boards about 200 yards (180 m) off a beach in Walton County, Florida, 8 miles (13 km) east of Destin, Florida. Witnesses estimated the shark was 6–8 feet (1.8–2.4 m) long. Her left leg was severed and she died of massive blood loss.[121]
Dr. David Roger Martin, 66	April 25, 2008	Great white shark	Martin was killed at approximately 7:20 a.m. while swimming with a group of eight other triathletes off a beach in Solana Beach, California. The victim was bitten across both thighs.[122]
Richard A. Snead, 60	September 12, 2009	Unconfirmed	Snead died while swimming in the Atlantic Ocean at twilight off the beach in the Whale Head Bay area of Corolla, North Carolina, near mile post 4+1⁄2. His body was found washed up on the beach in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina.[109] Final autopsy results, released on January 5, 2010, concluded Snead's death appeared to be from drowning. This conclusion conflicted, however, with an initial autopsy conducted at East Carolina University which said he died of shark bites.[123][124]

2010s

Name, Age	Date	Location	Species	Comments
Stephen Howard Schafer, 38	February 3, 2010	Stuart Beach, Florida	Bull shark[125]	Schafer was attacked while kitesurfing around 4:15 p.m. about 500 yards (460 m) off an unguarded section of a beach south of Stuart Beach in Martin County, Florida. Authorities initially thought multiple sharks may have been involved in the incident due to reports by rescuers that he was surrounded by sharks. The Martin County medical examiner's office concluded he died from massive blood loss from a leg wound.[126][127][128][105]
Lucas McKaine Ransom, 19	October 22, 2010	Surf Beach, California	Great white shark[129][130][131]	Ransom died after a great white shark pulled him off his bodyboard just before 9 a.m. about 100 yards (91 m) off Surf Beach near Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. He suffered the loss of his left leg, resulting in massive blood loss.[129][131] On October 25, 2010, the Santa Barbara County coroner confirmed the species as great white after conferring with shark experts from the Los Angeles-based Shark Research Committee. The shark that attacked Ransom is believed to have been 17–18 feet (5.2–5.5 m) long, weighing approximately 4,000 pounds (1,814 kg).[130]
Francisco Javier Solorio Jr., 39	October 23, 2012	Surf Beach, California	Great white shark	Solorio died after he was bitten on the left side of his upper torso by a great white shark while surfing. The attack occurred at Surf Beach near Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California, just two years (almost to the very day) after a fatal attack in the same location. Authorities from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office positively identified the species involved in the attack as a 15–16 feet (4.6–4.9 m) great white shark.[132][133]
Jana Lutteropp, 20	August 14, 2013	Maui, Hawaii	unconfirmed, presumed to be a Tiger shark[134]	Lutteropp, a German tourist, died on August 21, 2013, one week after her right arm was bitten off by a shark while snorkeling 50 to 100 yards (46 to 91 m) off Palauea beach in Makena, Maui.[135][136]
Patrick A. Briney, 57	December 2, 2013	Maui, Hawaii	unconfirmed, presumed to be a Tiger shark	Briney, a resident of Washington state, was fishing from a kayak with his right foot dangling over the side, which was bitten by a shark. He died while being transported to shore. The attack occurred about 500 yards (460 m) off Keawakapu Beach in the Makena State Recreation Area on Maui, Hawaii.[137]
Margaret C. Cruse, 65	April 29, 2015	Maui, Hawaii	unconfirmed, presumed to be a Tiger shark[138]	Cruse, a resident of Kihei, Hawaii, was bitten in the upper torso while snorkeling by an unknown species of shark at a popular surfing spot known as "The Dumps" near Makena, Maui. Her lifeless body was found floating face-down by other snorkelers. She also lost an arm in the attack.[139][140]
Arthur Medici, 26	September 15, 2018	Wellfleet, Massachusetts	Unconfirmed, presumed to be a great white shark	At around noon on Saturday September 15, Medici was attacked near Newcomb Hollow Beach on Cape Cod, and was transferred to Cape Cod Hospital. He died in the hospital a few hours later, in the first fatal shark attack in Massachusetts since 1936.[141][142] This attack occurred only a few weeks after another man was non-fatally injured by what was determined to be a great white shark in the nearby town of Truro.[143]
Thomas Smiley, 65	May 25, 2019	Maui, Hawaii	Unknown	Just before 9 a.m., 65-year-old Thomas Smiley from California was attacked by a shark while swimming about 60 yards (55 m) off Ka’anapali Beach. He was pronounced dead at the scene.[144][145]

2020s

Name, Age	Date	Location	Species	Comments
Ben Kelly, 26	May 9, 2020	Manresa State Beach, California	Great white shark	Attacked within 100 yards (91 m) of the shore near Watsonville, California while the victim was surfing.[146][147]
Julie Dimperio Holowach, 63	July 27, 2020	Bailey Island, Maine	Great white shark	Attacked about 20 yards (18 m) from the shore while swimming with her daughter. It was the first recorded fatal shark attack in Maine.[148]
Robin Warren, 56	December 8, 2020	Maui, Hawaii	Tiger shark[149]	Attack happened just before 8 a.m. in Honolua Bay, North Maui while the victim was on his surfboard. The shark's bite took a 17 inch-wide chunk out of the surfboard. The victim was hospitalized and in stable condition, but after undergoing surgery his condition deteriorated and he died the following day.[150]
Tomas Butterfield, 42	December 24, 2021	Morro Bay, California	Great white shark	Around 10:40 a.m. surfer Rebecca Frimmer spotted a lone bodyboard being pushed by the waves to shore before snapping back as if something was attached to it. Fearing someone might be drowning she pulled on the surfboard leash and discovered Butterfield's shark bitten body. An autopsy revealed a 15-inch bite mark and concluded Butterfield died from blunt trauma[151] within minutes of being attacked.[152][153][154]
Kristine "Kristi" Allen, 60	December 8, 2022	Maui, Hawaii	Tiger shark[155]	Allen was last seen around noon about 75 yards (69 m) off Keawakapu Point in South Maui two years to the day after another fatal attack on Maui. Searchers found an 'aggressive' 10-to-13-foot (3.0 to 4.0 m) tiger shark in the area.[156][157]
Felix Louis N'Jai, 52	October 1, 2023	Wildcat Beach, California	Great white shark	At around 10:20 am, N'Jai was attacked and pulled under by a shark while swimming 100 yards (91 m) offshore with two friends. According to friend and witness Jim Kennan, a shark came up and grabbed N'Jai by the neck, brought him down and that was the last they saw. The two other men quickly swam ashore, turned around and saw blood and some commotion in the water. At the time of the incident, Marin County firefighters said they determined that the three men encountered a shark who attacked one of them. N'Jai's body was never recovered.[158][159]
Jason Carter, 39	December 30, 2023	Pāʻia Bay, Maui, Hawaii	Unknown	First responders rushed to provide medical aid to the victim who was surfing, after 11:00 am, Carter was rushed to the hospital and treated but later died of his wounds that afternoon.[160][161][162]
Tamayo Perry, 49	June 23, 2024	North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii	Unknown	Perry, a well-known surfer and lifeguard, was surfing near Goat Island in the early afternoon when he was fatally injured in a shark attack and was pronounced dead on the beach.[163]

See also

For a topical guide, see Outline of sharks.

Shark attack Red Triangle (Pacific Ocean) Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916 List of fatal shark-incidents in Australia (Australia has the second largest number of reported shark attacks[164]) List of fatal shark attacks in California List of fatal shark attacks in South African territorial waters

Species Animal attacks List of fatal bear attacks in North America List of fatal cougar attacks in North America List of fatal snake bites in the United States List of fatal alligator attacks in the United States List of wolf attacks in North America Fatal dog attacks in the United States