Veteran lifeguard dragged underwater by great white shark

SCARBOROUGH, Maine (WBZ) — A veteran lifeguard with 55 years of experience was dragged underwater by a great white shark during a routine patrol off Scarborough this weekend, officials said.

Greg Wilfert, 71, said the shark grabbed his rescue device and pulled him under with a force he had never felt before.

“The amount of force that pulled me under I’ve never felt anything like that, never,” Wilfert said.

‘I knew it was a great white’

Wilfert said he initially thought he had been caught in a boat propeller before realizing there was no boat nearby.

“I thought I got caught in a boat propeller and it pulled me under and I realized when I was going under there was no boat. And I knew what it was, I knew it was a great white,” he said.

Wilfert said he freed himself by slipping the strap off his rescue buoy.

“I said I gotta get out of here. I got one chance and I slipped that thing off as fast as I could and I swam to the surface and I just b-lined it for the shoreline,” he said.

Beach closed, search launched

After reaching shore, Wilfert said he immediately began warning others in the water.

“I was screaming, just screaming for people to get out of the water because I didn’t know where that thing was,” he said.

The beach was closed for an hour while a drone and jet skis searched the area.

Shark sightings described as unusually high

Officials said at least a dozen sharks were spotted over the weekend along several Scarborough beaches, a number they described as unusually high even for this time of year.

Surfer Carl Smith said the activity was unlike anything he had seen before.

“I’ve been surfing and sailing here for a long time and I’ve never really experienced this, it’s wild,” Smith said.

Smith added that beachgoers were trying to stay cautious. “It’s a little disconcerting but I guess you try to stay safe out there,” he said.

Alert remains in effect

The beach remains on a red and yellow alert, requiring beachgoers to check with lifeguards before entering the water. The alert will remain in place until sharks are no longer in the area, officials said.

Wilfert said people can still enjoy the beach but urged caution.

“You still can have fun at the beach but play it safe,” he said. “Stay close to shore, you don’t need to go out into the deep water, you’re asking for trouble.”