## Maine Lifeguard Shark Attack & the Great White Surge in Saco Bay ### What happened On the week of Aug. 4–5, 2026, a cluster of great white sharks appeared unusually close to shore in Saco Bay, southern Maine — and one of them attacked a lifeguard. **The attack:** Greg Wilfert, the 71-year-old park manager at Scarborough Beach State Park, was swimming in the water when a great white shark grabbed him and dragged him roughly 5–6 feet underwater before releasing him. He surfaced unharmed. Officials confirmed it was a white shark encounter. ([CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/maine-lifeguard-shark-attack-sightings-warning), [WMTW](https://www.wmtw.com/article/scarborough-maine-lifeguard-shark-encounter-pulled-underwater/73394365)) **The sightings:** Around the same time, nearly a dozen great whites were spotted near Pine Point Beach in Scarborough over a two-day stretch — two juveniles confirmed Aug. 4 near Prouts Neck, then a drone operator spotted another 5–7 sharks swimming and feeding near Pine Point the next day. Sharks ranged from ~6–8 ft juveniles to larger animals of 10–12 ft. ([The Maine Wire](https://www.themainewire.com/2026/08/great-whites-are-moving-into-saco-bay-and-some-are-getting-remarkably-close-to-maines-most-popular-beaches/), [TechTimes](https://www.techtimes.com/articles/323822/20260810/great-white-seizes-scarborough-lifeguard-drones-reveal-seven-shark-surge-off-maine-coast.htm)) ### What changed / why it matters This is not a one-off. The incident is the latest signal that great whites are becoming **regular summer visitors to southern Maine's most crowded beaches**, not just occasional passersby: - **State monitoring data** (Maine DMR) show Scarborough Beach recorded tagged white sharks on **33 days** in 2025, Higgins Beach on 31, and Saco Bay on 27 — among the highest activity levels in the state, with similar concentrations in 2024. ([The Maine Wire](https://www.themainewire.com/2026/08/great-whites-are-moving-into-saco-bay-and-some-are-getting-remarkably-close-to-maines-most-popular-beaches/)) - **Returning juveniles:** Three of the most active white sharks detected in Maine in 2024 were juveniles tagged there that summer — the first white sharks ever tagged in Maine waters — and two of them drove much of the 2025 receiver activity, suggesting some juveniles may be returning year after year. ([The Maine Wire](https://www.themainewire.com/2026/08/great-whites-are-moving-into-saco-bay-and-some-are-getting-remarkably-close-to-maines-most-popular-beaches/)) - **Active research:** UMass Dartmouth's Bernal Fish Ecophysiology Lab has launched a study to tag ~30 juvenile white sharks in Saco Bay (Scarborough and Old Orchard Beach) to determine whether they're becoming residents — a question with major implications for summer tourism. ([The Maine Wire](https://www.themainewire.com/2026/08/great-whites-are-moving-into-saco-bay-and-some-are-getting-remarkably-close-to-maines-most-popular-beaches/), [Maine Public](https://www.mainepublic.org/environment-and-outdoors/2026-08-07/white-shark-sightings-draw-attention-to-coastal-waters)) - **Why now:** The western North Atlantic white shark population is recovering after 1990s federal protections, while New England's seal population rebounded under marine-mammal protections — giving mature sharks a food source and juveniles abundant baitfish close to shore. ([The Maine Wire](https://www.themainewire.com/2026/08/great-whites-are-moving-into-saco-bay-and-some-are-getting-remarkably-close-to-maines-most-popular-beaches/)) - **Context:** Maine dramatically expanded shark monitoring after the state's first fatal attack — the July 2020 death of 63-year-old Julie Dimperio Holowach, killed by a great white while swimming. ([The Maine Wire](https://www.themainewire.com/2026/08/great-whites-are-moving-into-saco-bay-and-some-are-getting-remarkably-close-to-maines-most-popular-beaches/)) ### Bottom line The lifeguard attack and the drone-documented shark surge mark a shift in how close great whites are coming to Maine's busiest beaches. Scientists are now actively testing whether juvenile white sharks are becoming seasonal residents of Saco Bay — a finding that would reshape beach-safety planning, tourism messaging, and public policy along the entire southern Maine coast. No injuries were reported from the lifeguard encounter, but the episode has renewed urgency around shark monitoring and public warnings. ### Strongest sources - [CBS News — Maine lifeguard says shark dragged him 5 feet underwater](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/maine-lifeguard-shark-attack-sightings-warning) - [WMTW — White shark drags Scarborough lifeguard underwater, officials say](https://www.wmtw.com/article/scarborough-maine-lifeguard-shark-encounter-pulled-underwater/73394365) - [The Maine Wire — Great Whites Are Moving Into Saco Bay](https://www.themainewire.com/2026/08/great-whites-are-moving-into-saco-bay-and-some-are-getting-remarkably-close-to-maines-most-popular-beaches/) - [Maine Public — White shark sightings draw attention to coastal waters](https://www.mainepublic.org/environment-and-outdoors/2026-08-07/white-shark-sightings-draw-attention-to-coastal-waters) - [TechTimes — Great White Seizes Scarborough Lifeguard as Drones Reveal Seven-Shark Surge](https://www.techtimes.com/articles/323822/20260810/great-white-seizes-scarborough-lifeguard-drones-reveal-seven-shark-surge-off-maine-coast.htm)