Barry Wilson Was The First Authenticated Shark Attack Victim On The California Coast
Find A GraveBarry Wilson was 17 years old when he died in a shark attack.
On December 7, 1952, California would have their first “authenticated” shark attack in history. That day, 17-year-old Barry Wilson was swimming with his friend near Lover’s Point in the town of Pacific Grove.
He was about 25 yards away from the shore, swimming alongside his friend, Brookner W. Grady. All of the sudden, a shark attacked Wilson and he was lifted several feet into the air.
Grady rushed to his friend’s side. He had his hunting knife on him, and began stabbing at the shark’s eye and freeing his friend from the shark’s jaws.
Wikimedia CommonsThere were almost certainly other attacks that happened off the coast of California before 1952, but at the time, Wilson’s case was the first to be authenticated.
Wilson had grabbed the attention of other swimmers who came to help Grady move his now unconscious friend into an inner tube. They eventually made it to shore, following a harrowing journey in which the shark continued to circle them all the way back to land.
Tragically, Wilson bled to death while on the way back to shore. He was bitten at least four times by the shark. His right leg was nearly bitten off entirely, while his femoral artery had been severed. He was also missing a large chunk of his right buttock.
At the time, this attack was considered the first case to be authenticated in California, thanks to the many beachgoers who witnessed the tragic event.
