The infamous 1916 shark attacks that inspired jaws the scariest word at any beach has to be the warning. It took a string of shark attacks in new jersey more than a hundred years ago to make u. It reminded me of the part in the blob where the teenagers were trying to do the same thing. The pilings in the foreground served as diving platforms for lester and. The 1916 attacks continued to be told anecdotally, in vague. Then, on july 6, 1916, charles bruder decided to go for a swim. Shark attacks of 1916 panic a nation, inspire terror. He was taking a lunch break from his job as a bellhop at the essex and sussex hotel in spring lake on the afternoon of july 6, 1916.
A century later, memories of fatal shark attacks linger in. Only see this if you are really interested in the story that inspired jaws. So, last week was shark week, which has become so highprofile that its virtually a national festival. A century later, memories of fatal shark attacks linger in new jersey the grave of lester stillwell, covered with toys that visitors have left, in matawan, n. And of course the part where nooki was hitting the rubber sharks with a paddle was reminiscent of raquel welch in one million bc. Burgess believes a single great white shark was responsible for the matawan attacks. Jaws movie inspiration was deadly 1916 shark attacks in. Shark attacks from july 1916 inspired peter benchley to write in 1974 a novel entitled jaws. Some people believe it was the event which inspired the movie, jaws.
According to the local paper, on july 1st, a shark had attacked and fatally wounded a lone swimmer off the coast of beach haven, new jersey, just seventy miles south of elm hills. They never imagined something like a shark attack, so the events were particularly shocking. Im sure youve been so inundated with shark lore in the past week that i hesitated to do this post at all, but i figured, what the hell. It was probably a bull shark though and not a great white shark that was responsible for the attacks. Spielbergs film makes reference to the events of 1916. The jersey shore shark attacks of 1916 were a series of shark attacks along the coast of new jersey between july 1 and july 12, 1916.
July 1, 1916, was a fine day at the new jersey resort town of beach haven. The 1916 shark attacks that gave sharks a bad rap britannica. Jersey shore shark attacks of 1916 wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The first victim was 25yearold charles vansant, who went out for an evening swim in beach haven, new jersey. Deadly shark attacks of summer of 1916 on jersey coast were an anomaly read up on patchs coverage of sharks in. This docudrama is based on richard fernicolas account of those days. The bull shark, which swims in fresh and salt water, is a very aggressive shark and is suspected of attacking 3 people in a new jersey creek in 1916 that inspired the book movie jaws. The jersey shore shark attacks from july 112 were later used even following the same order to help depict the attacks in peter benchleys book jaws, which spawned the movie of the same name. Located on the southern coast of new jersey, beach haven was situated on.
Jersey shore shark attacks of 1916 chondrichthyes wiki. The reallife jaws that terrorized the jersey shore history. Shark week has always been a big thing for my family and i, and having the opportunity to read about this topic was great. Jul 26, 2014 the 1916 new jersey shark attacks, the worst in us history.
Memories of the attacks faded as the nation entered world war i, he said, but people were reminded in 1975 when. It was a film that has year after year kept many beach goers out of the oceans water for good. Following the death of arthur medici 26 from a shark attack off cape cod, memories of the most vicious shark of all time who terrorized new jersey back in 1916 are recalled. But beachgoers in new jersey are threatened by a even greater terror. Even so, if you can update or improve it, please do so. Nearly 60 years before peter benchleys novel jaws, a real maneater lurked the waters of the new jersey coast. Throwback thursday 1916 new jersey shark attacks the. It wasnt safe to go back in the water of the jersey shore in 1916, as a series of deadly shark attacks forever changed americans attitudes toward the sea creatures. The reallife jaws that terrorized the jersey shore.
The first victim, 25yearold charles vansant, bled to. An exhaustively researched reconstruction of the 1916 jersey shore shark attacks that served as the basis for jaws, michael capuzzos close to shore is a tremendous achievement of historical journalism that is somewhat undermined by its stiflingly repetitive narrative style. Site of the new jersey shark attacks of 1916 matawan. And i was absolutely flabbergasted that the guys were able to reason out where the albino sharks came from and why they were there. Steven spielberg based the script of his famous movie on this novel. As in, the famous jersey shore shark attacks of 1916, in which two swimmers were killed along the beaches in beach haven and spring lake and then two more in. The first attack occurred on july 1 st in the resort town of beach haven.
Peter benchleys novel and steven spielbergs blockbuster film. A century ago, a series of deadly shark attacks by the matawan maneater shook new jersey and prompted president wilson to declare war on sharks. The jersey shore shark attacks of 1916 kids news article. For twelve days in july, 1916, a shark patrolled the waterways of northern new jersey. A 25yearold swimmer off the town of beach haven, new jersey was pulled from the water, the first fatal shark attack victim that would lead the coast in a panic for the. One hundred years ago a large shark killed two people at the jersey. The 1916 shark attacks off the jersey coast that was.
In the rogue series of attacks from 112 july, unprecedented. Jaws movie inspiration was deadly 1916 shark attacks in new jersey. The story didnt even make headlines though, just a small section in the back of the newspaper. The infamous 1916 shark attacks that inspired jaws cbs. Its like when a syfy tv movie fails, its really painful and drawn out. Jersey shore shark attacks of 1916 is a featured article. A 25yearold swimmer off the town of beach haven, new jersey was pulled from the water, the first fatal shark attack victim that would lead. He was a bellhop at the essex and sussex hotel in spring lake, new jersey. Kmusserwikimedia commons then 10yearold lester stilwell was bitten and dragged under the water while playing with his friends in matawan creek.
What actions were taken in these new jersey towns after the string of attacks began. In the summer of 1916 people from new jersey, philadelphia and new york flocked to the jersey shore. The 1916 shark attack spree began with an unsuspecting young man going for a leisurely swim off the jersey shore. The reallife jaws that terrorized the jersey shore it wasnt safe to go back in the water of the jersey shore in 1916, as a series of deadly shark attacks forever changed americans. The reallife jaws new jersey shark attacks in 1916. And it is where the inspiration for the movie jaws came from.
An account of the 1916 new jersey shark attacks that inspired peter benchleys jaws chronicles the twelveday period during which four swimmers were killed and a fifth seriously injured, examining clues and evidence to consider what actually took place. It was july 1, 1916, and in beach haven the tourist season was in full swing. The surf rolled in and broke against the warm sands. Four people were killed in a spate of shark attacks along the coast of new jersey in the united states during the deadly heat wave of 1916. Spring lake is 45 miles north of beach haven, the sight of the first attack just five days earlier. In 1916, new jersey residents engaged in active warfare with a shark that killed four people. The world is shark obsessed these days ever since the movie jaws reached our screens in 1975 and the legend of the great white killer began in earnest. The 1916 new jersey shark attacks, the worst in us history. In july 1916, five americans out for a swim were attacked and four were killed by the juvenile great white shark on the jersey shore. It was the trio that rushed in on the morning of july 3rd, 1916, just as chet was finishing up his shift at his uncles diner, to report the big news. The shark attacks that were the inspiration for jaws history.
Attacks by the sea predator are rare, nonetheless create concern for beachgoers. Largest sea turtle jersey shore shark attack great white shark attack jaws movie beach haven shark week new travel. In 1916, a great white shark attacked five people near the jersey shore. The novel was adapted as the film jaws by steven spielberg in 1975. July of 1916 was a time of record heat, a polio epidemic, and a world war in europe. The global shark attack file, which provides current and historical data on sharkhuman interactions, lists it as a shark fatality.
The jersey shore shark attacks of 1916 caused widespread panic in the u. Although i dont remember any accounts of that event that included the phrase badda bing. In 1916 a shark attack killed 11yearold stillwell, who was swimming off the dock, in the matawan creek, and fisher, who tried to recover the boys body. The jersey shore shark attacks of 1916 were a series of shark attacks along the coast of new jersey, in the united states, between july 1 and july 12, 1916, in which four people were killed and one injured. The jersey maneateras the mystery sharks became knownpartly influenced peter benchleys novel 1974 jaws, and the steven spielbergdirected film adaptation, which played a role in. New jersey shark attacks that left 4 people dead in 1916. I never worried about shark attacks until the movie jaws was released in 1975. His research became the basis for the highly acclaimed television documentaries legends of killer sharks and shark attack. Reading capuzzos sources and acknowledgements drives home his. The jersey shore shark attacks of 1916 were a series of shark attacks along the coast of new jersey, in the united states, between july 1 and 12, 1916, in which four people were killed and one injured. The shark attacks of 1916 were a series of shark attacks from july 1 through july 12 1916. Since 1916, scholars have debated which shark species was responsible and the number of animals involved, with the great white shark and the bull shark most frequently cited. As americans prepared to celebrate the fourth of july holiday weekend in 1916, the aptly named resort town of beach haven.
Fernicola is recognized as the foremost authority on the new jersey shark attacks of 1916. New jersey on july 12, where it would attack and kill 12yearold lester stillwell and 24yearold stanley fisher within an hour of each other. In the summer of 1916, it was business as usual along the new jersey shoreline. The 1916 shark attacks off the jersey coast that was the. Where was shark attack in new jersey in 1916 answers. The most interesting topic to me in the new york times this week was about the 1916 new jersey shark attack. The incidents occurred during a deadly summer heat wave and polio epidemic in the united states. Based on a true story, it revolves around the 1916 jersey shark attacks. This was the first everreported death or even attack by a shark. Since 1916, scholars have debated which shark species was responsible and the number of animals involved. I also liked the reference to the real shark attack in 1916 that happened along the jersey shore. Since 1916, scholars have debated which shark species was responsible and the number of. The jersey shore shark attacks of 1916 were a series of shark attacks along the coast of new. The philadelphia inquirer covers the attacks in the matawan creek.
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