Shark Grabs Maine Lifeguard and Pulls Him 5 Feet Underwater. Officials warn of more sightings

Shark sightings remain rare at most U.S. beaches, but officials along parts of the East Coast said they are seeing more activity close to shore this summer. In Maine, a lifeguard at Scarborough Beach said a shark grabbed onto his buoy on Saturday, August 8, and pulled him about 5 feet underwater before he got free and made it back to shore unharmed. Local officials said the encounter happened as shark sightings in the same area have climbed in recent days.

Lifeguard describes being pulled underwater off Scarborough Beach

Greg Wilfert, a lifeguard in Scarborough, said the shark encounter happened while he was in the water off Scarborough Beach on August 8. Wilfert said the animal grabbed his buoy and dragged him about 5 feet underwater before he was able to break free and return to shore without injuries.

Wilfert said he first thought he had been caught in a boat propeller because that was the only explanation that made sense to him at first. He then realized there was no boat nearby, and said he started swimming hard to get away. Wilfert described the experience as frightening but confirmed he was not hurt.

The reported depth and location are among the clearest confirmed details so far. Officials have not released a species identification tied to Wilfert’s account, and no injury report was announced in connection with the incident. What is confirmed is that the encounter happened off the coast of Scarborough Beach and that the lifeguard made it safely back to land.

Maine officials say sightings near shore have increased

Scarborough marine resources officer Daryen Granata said at least a dozen sharks have been spotted close to popular beaches in the area since last week. Granata said that volume is larger than he has seen in more than 30 years working in the area, making this a notable stretch for southern Maine beaches.

The warning is focused on waters near Scarborough, where beachgoers and lifeguards have reported recent activity close to shore. Officials have confirmed a rise in sightings, but they have not issued a full public breakdown of each sighting by exact beach, time, or species. They also have not said how many of those sightings involved sharks approaching swimmers directly.

For Maine residents and visitors, the immediate takeaway is that local officials are urging more awareness in the water as sightings increase. Shark encounters still remain rare by national standards, and the International Shark Attack File reported 25 unprovoked bites in the U.S. last year.

Conservation gains and more marine life are part of the backdrop

Experts said the increase in sightings is tied in part to broader marine recovery trends along the East Coast. OCEARCH founder Chris Fischer said conservation efforts in recent years have helped increase marine life populations, and that means more sharks are likely to be present as well.

Fischer said people should pay closer attention to what is happening around them in the water, especially when there is visible marine life activity nearby. His nonprofit studies sharks by catching, tagging, collecting data, and releasing them, and he said the public should expect to see more marine species, including sharks, as populations rebound.

That context does not change the basic math of risk. Even with the Scarborough encounter and the reported dozen-plus sightings, documented shark bites remain uncommon in the United States, and local officials in Maine have framed the current moment as one that calls for awareness rather than panic.