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Members of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) decided to jump ship for a relaxing swim when all of a sudden they were joined by a large shark — about eight-foot in length. The Department of Defense report indicates the crew of the USCG Cutter Kimball took a break while they were patrolling in the Oceania area of the Pacific on Aug. 21, 2020.
The weather was perfect so nearly 40 crew members took their break in the water.
Even the inflatable unicorn appeared to be enjoying itself. CNN reported the ship’s social media page declared, everyone was smiling and having a great day.
That is until Petty officer 1st Class Samuel Cintron, who was on watch, he spotted a shark surfacing. It was close. He began to yell “shark!. Everyone in the water swam to safety as Cintron fired a few shots to deter the predator. He continued to fire until all of his shipmates were safe.
The DOD report indicated the shark appeared to be unharmed as it moved away. After reviewing the video, the USCG believes the shark was a Long-fin Makeo or a Pelagic shark.
Crew members said the shark did not appear to be injured. They think it joined a few smaller sharks and swam away.
Written by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
DVIDS: Video – Coast Guard cutter crews encounter shark during swim call while patrolling Oceania
CNN: Coast Guard Watch opens fire on shark to protect crew in water; Allen Kim
Featured and Inset Image Courtesy of Matt Kowlaczyk’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
