Tragična nesreća dogodila se u blizini obale američke savezne države Maine kraj otoka Bailey kada je velika bijela psina napala plivačicu. Morski pas usmrtio je 63-godišnju Julie Holowach, a riječ je o drugom napadu morskog psa ikada zabilježenom u toj državi, javlja BBC.
New Yorker Julie Dimperio Holowach, 63, who has been killed by a great white shark off the coast of Maine while swimming with her daughter Alex just 20 yards from shore. She was wearing a wetsuit and may have been mistaken for a seal in the sea near Bailey Island, Harpswell, on Monday when she was seen by witnesses to 'dip under the water' and then get 'thrown up in the air by something underwater'. The US Coast Guard responded to the attack after her 27-year-old daughter swam back to shore calling for help. Two kayakers helped Mrs Holowach back to shore where she was treated but Marine Patrol said she died shortly afterwards. The US Coast Guard launched a small response boat from Portland after hearing about the attack at around 3:37 p.m but then returned to shore after hearing the victim had been returned to land, according to Petty Officer Amanda Wyrick.
Julie Dimperio Holowach is pictured here on her "open" Facebook page Julie Dimperio Holowach killed in great white shark attack off Maine Coast, USA - 29 Jul 2020 James Sulikowski, a shark researcher who heads Arizona State University's Sulikowski Shark and Fish Conservation Lab, said the attack would be the first known incident of its kind in Maine history. There are eight species of sharks found in the waters off Maine, but only the white sharks are known to have attacked people. "When that happens, it's most likely because the shark has mistaken a human for a seal," he said. Mrs Holowach was the former president of accessories brand Kipling and spent summers with her family in Harpswell. Tom Whyte, who knew Julie, saw Julie and her daughter Alex swimming from his home office on the shoreline. "Alex was a couple of strokes ahead of Julie and Julie started screaming. You know that...it's like a car crash. You know It's a sound you...It's not a normal scream," he told CBSN Bost...,Image: 548002410, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Rex Features Ltd. do not claim any Copyright or License of the attached image, Model Release: no
Inače, velike bijele psine rijetko se viđaju u tom dijelu svijeta jer ta životinja više voli boraviti u toplijem moru nego što je ono u sjevernom SAD-u. Taman prije napada žena je plivala sa svojom kćeri Alex koja je srećom prošla bez ikakvih ozljeda.
Jedan od svjedoka sa plaže za AP je ispričao da je čuo kako se žena smije u moru dok je u drugom trenutku počela vrištati i zapomagati "upomoć, upomoć". Da je u moru sve bilo puno krvi potvrdio je drugi svjedok tragičnog događaja.
Dva kajakaša su došla do Amerikanke te su je uspjeli izvući na obalu, ali njoj nije bilo spasa. Da se radi o velikoj bijeloj psini pokazali su tragovi zuba na Julienom tijelu. Stručnjaci smatraju da je morski pas zamijenio Julie za tuljana jer je nosila odijelo za plivanje, a upravo je to jedan od najčešćih uzroka napada morskog psa na ljude. Njezina kći kupala se bez odijela.
Ljudi govore da su uočili više morskih pasa proteklog tjedna, posebno oko njujorškog Long Islanda, piše BBC.
