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A man was killed by a shark off Cape Cod over the weekend during the first deadly shark attack in Massachusetts since 1936.
Arthur Medici, 26, of Revere, Mass., Was attacked Saturday at Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet, according to the National Parks Service. He was taken out of the water and taken to the Cape Cod hospital where he was pronounced dead, officials said.
Officials were investigating the attack, but they suspect that Mr. Medici was killed by a great white shark.
Experts say that great white sharks, which can measure up to 20 feet long, do not hunt humans but take them for prey because they are about the same size as seals and other marine mammals .
"Almost every shark bite is an accident," said Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the Florida Museum of Natural History. "It's an error of identity."
The probability of being bitten by a shark is statistically low. Last year, there was 88 unpremeditated shark attacks worldwide, including five deaths, according to the international shark attack file of the program. The United States, with its long coastlines and busy beaches, has always experienced the most attacks – mostly in Florida – followed by Australia, South Africa, and Brazil.
According to experts, a new risk zone appears in Massachusetts, where a flourishing population of marine life has collided with tourists for nearly a century, since a teenager was fatally bitten in 1936.
The state, which has experienced some attacks since the 1800s, now has at least two in a few weeks. Another man was bitten at Cape Cod last month near Longnook Beach in Truro, but he fought the shark and survived.
Experts report a thriving seal community off Cape Cod, noting that its population has increased, as has the population of its predator, the Great White Shark. Marine mammals and sharks are protected by federal law, which has contributed to their resurgence.
"If you ask us if we are surprised that this has happened, well, we hope it will not happen, but honestly, probabilities increase when there are more sharks in the water," he said. Mr. Naylor.
He said researchers have seen many sharks in Massachusetts waters in recent years, including many that are not fully developed. "When you see a very high percentage of young people, then it's usually a sign that the population is coming back," he said.
It is, however, unusual to see sharks moving and attacking near shore. Sharks generally like to hunt in deeper waters, according to Naylor, who asked if the larger shark population had forced smaller and less experienced sharks away from hunting grounds and closer to the beach.
Mr. Medici was attacked while he was with a friend getting into a boogie, The Associated Press reported. Research shows that most victims are bitten while surfing or playing other water sports, which can attract sharks.
Medici was a part-time student at Bunker Hill Community College in the Boston area, the school said in a statement. A GoFundMe page created to raise funds for funeral expenses said that he was an engineering student who was active in his church and enjoyed outdoor activities, including cycling and surfing.
"Without him, our lives will never be the same," according to the page set up by family and friends. "His laugh has filled our home and we will miss him very much."
The beaches at Wellfleet have been closed for swimming on Sundays.
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