A man bitten by a shark is loaded onto a MedFlight helicopter.
Photo by Tim Caldwell/CWN (click to enlarge)
An ambulance rushes the victim of a shark attack at Long Nook Beach to a MedFlight landing zone.
Photo by Tim Caldwell/CWN (click to enlarge)
TRURO – Truro emergency personnel were responding Wednesday to a possible shark attack at Long Nook Beach in Truro.
An ambulance was seen leaving from the beach shortly after 4 p.m. en route to a MedFlight in Wellfleet with the male victim.
A statement on the Truro Harbormaster’s website indicated an individual sustained injuries from a reported shark bite.
The statement said the beach was closed until further notice.
Truro Police tell Cape Wide News a 61-year-old male suffered bite wounds to the hip and leg. He was flown to Tuft’s Medical Center in Boston. The beach is run by the town but the incident happened outside the town jurisdiction on Cape Cod National Seashore property.
Statement from Truro Police: “At approximately 4:11pm the Truro Police Department received a 911 call advising a person had been bitten by a shark on Longnook Beach. Truro Rescue and Police responded. A 61 year old male was located approximately 300 yards south of Longnook Beach, within the boundary of the Cape Cod National Seashore.
The victim reported he was bitten while standing in water approximately 30 yards off shore. He was treated by Truro Rescue and transported to the Marconi Site helispot in Wellfleet , and flown via helicopter to Tufts Medical Center in Boston.
US National Park Service Rangers are investigating.”
Wednesday evening, the Cape Cod National Seashore released the following statement: “On Wednesday, August 15 at approximately 4:15 pm, a 61-year-old male was bitten by a shark. The patient stated he was standing in the water 30 yards offshore when the shark bit him. The location of the incident is approximately 300 yards south of Longnook Beach in Truro within the boundary of Cape Cod National Seashore. The patient was treated by Town of Truro EMS, transported to the Marconi Site helispot in Wellfleet, and flown via helicopter to Tufts Medical Center in Boston. US National Park Service rangers are investigating.”
Wednesday evening, Chief Executive Officer of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy Cynthia Wigren released the following statement on today’s shark bite in Truro: “We offer wishes for a full recovery to the victim of today’s shark bite and convey our sincere sympathy to him and his family.
“Encounters with white sharks in which people suffer injuries are as terrifying as they are rare. While we still don’t know all of the details of this particular bite, sharks are not known to target people specifically and when they do bite people it’s usually a case of mistaken identity. Sharks ‘test the waters’ with their teeth, much like we use our hands. It is how they determine if what they encounter is prey or something to avoid.”
“Here at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, we are committed to making beaches safer by studying shark behavior and sharing what we learn with the public and town officials to help reduce the probability of these kinds of interactions.”
Thursday morning, authorities identified the victim as William Lytton, 61, of Scarsdale, NY. Tufts Medical Center reported Lytton was in serious condition.
Stay with Cape Wide News for further developments.
Shark attack Long Nook Beach Truro, MA 8/15/18 from Cape Wide News LLC on Vimeo.
Several beachgoers described what they saw to our Matt Pitta:
