Greg Wilfert, a 71-year-old lifeguard and park manager who has served at Scarborough Beach in Maine for 55 years, was dragged five to six feet underwater by a great white shark while swimming near buoys over the weekend.

Initially, Wilfert thought his rescue can had been caught by a passing boat. However, he quickly realized it was a great white shark that pulled him under. He managed to remove the strap from his rescue device and swim back to shore safely without further incident.

"I just swam as fast as I could to the surface, and then I just was hoping it wasn't behind me. I could've beaten Michael Phelps," Wilfert said.

Wilfert emphasized the increasing presence of great white sharks in the area and the importance of taking precautions, especially since many local beaches lack lifeguards. "There's a lot of beaches that we have around here that there's no lifeguards, and they have the presence of these great whites, and you need to take it seriously," he said.

Following the encounter, Wilfert said he is taking the situation seriously and will avoid swimming near the buoys for a while.

Sources