Scarborough lifeguard escapes after being pulled underwater by shark
A paddleboarder and a surfer make their way through the water off Higgins Beach in Scarborough on Friday. A lifeguard managed to escape safely Saturday after a shark dragged him underwater by his rescue torpedo at Scarborough Beach State Park, officials say. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer)
A lifeguard managed to escape safely after a shark dragged him underwater by his rescue torpedo at Scarborough Beach State Park on Saturday afternoon.
The lifeguard was using a rescue torpedo — a flotation device used in water rescue — when the shark grabbed it, pulling him 5 to 6 feet below the surface, according to a Monday news release from the Scarborough Police Department.
The rescue torpedo was attached to the lifeguard by a strap, but he freed himself from it and swam back to shore. A bystander reported that the rescue torpedo flew several feet out of the water soon after the lifeguard escaped.
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The shark encounter follows numerous reports of shark sightings last week in Scarborough, including two spotted Tuesday at Pine Point Beach and five to seven more spotted a day later.
Reid State Park in Georgetown was temporarily closed to swimming Friday due to a shark sighting.
After Saturday’s encounter, Scarborough Beach State Park was closed to swimming for an hour while public safety personnel assessed the situation.
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People have continued to observe white sharks at Scarborough Beach State Park and Higgins Beach, including the nearshore waters and sandbar areas, according to the release. Police urged beachgoers to use caution when entering the water and said the sharks’ presence is “an ongoing concern” for the town.
Karl Ramsdell, a Maine-based wildlife photographer, has been following the shark activity over the past week, posting a series of videos to social media. He said once he puts his drone up, he can fly it from shark to shark.
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Ramsdell said he’s been droning the area of Pine Point for about eight years, but until this year, he had never captured videos of them.
“If you go in the ocean in Saco Bay, you’re surrounded by them basically,” he said. “It just blows my mind that, all these years, I’ve never droned a shark — and this year, they’re all over the place.”
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People should get out of the water immediately when instructed by lifeguards and public safety personnel, report shark sightings, avoid swimming if there are seals or large schools of fish or if alone, and understand that shark activity can occur close to shore and in relatively shallow water.
Staff Writer Andrew Rice contributed to this report.
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Tagged: great white sharks, lifeguard, maine beaches, shark
Salomé Cloteaux is a community reporter covering Scarborough and Westbrook. She was born in France but lived in Indiana for most of her life before moving to Portland in November 2025. Salomé has a degree. More by Salomé Cloteaux
