# Possible new Urban Legend regarding recent shark attack? Or might this be true?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-new-urban-legend-regarding-recent-shark-attack-or-might-this-be-true/73546
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 23, 2001, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-new-urban-legend-regarding-recent-shark-attack-or-might-this-be-true/73546 "2001-07-23T16:12:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Hokienautic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hokienautic)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2001, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-new-urban-legend-regarding-recent-shark-attack-or-might-this-be-true/73546/1 "2001-07-23T16:12:21Z")
I got the following email about the recent shark attack where a boy had his arm bitten off and his uncle wrestled the shark to shore where it was shot and the arm recovered. Has anyone else received this, and does anyone have a link, or more concrete backup for this claim? Sounds somewhat plausible, but a number of quotes make me think “UL” and nothing more.
Here it is:
To All my buddies and friends that have called me about the truth on the shark attack here on Pensacola Beach, the truth is coming out! There is a reason that the “hero” of the attack that wrestled that 7 foot shark to shore is not giving any interviews, and is hard to find. There is a reason that this 7 foot shark was in 2 feet of water, and there is a reason that the family is “acting funny” about taking money from those that want to help…here it is…hard truth…Sit down…
THE UNCLE THAT WRESTLED THE SHARK ASHORE WAS FISHING FOR SHARKS, HAD IT ON A LINE AND HAD BEEN FIGHTING IT FOR TWO HOURS PLUS.
The unidentified stranger that helped him also helped him fight the fish to shore. When the shark got into two feet of water, the kids all ran into the water in jubilation and the shark lunged from off the ground and hit Jessie Arbogast twice, took his arm off and bit into his leg. !!!
The man had CHUM in the water, and heavy tackle built to fish for sharks. His nephew got bit because the entire family went into the water trying to wrestle the fish to land. There is big money on a shark that size.
THIS IS THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
The press has suppressed the real truth, because they are afraid that it will effect the contributions for Jessie and the uncle is so filled with guilt, he has tried to commit suicide once already…Now it all makes sense. NO MAN is going to wrestle a shark that large to shore in two feet of water, that is one powerful animal, and they had cut the cable, and hide the rods by the time the Medic’s got there. The ranger that shot the shark testified that the shark still had the hook in his mouth and “put up a big fight because his mouth was all bloody and torn up”… (that is why the shark had blood all over it’s mouth in the TV photo’s, it was it’s own blood !!)
I am not lessening the horror of the event. Jessie did get an arm bit off and is going to recover, but I am tired of Pensacola Beach taking it in the shorts because of the “whole truth not being told”…The money, in my opinion would still come in, and the uncle will have to accept that it was a tragic accident and a mistake.
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### Author:  [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2001, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-new-urban-legend-regarding-recent-shark-attack-or-might-this-be-true/73546/2 "2001-07-23T17:04:57Z")
#752: It contains the following line
> [@](#):
>
> The press has suppressed the real truth
(note: ‘press’ may be replaced with either ‘the government’ or ‘main-stream scientists’)
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### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2001, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-new-urban-legend-regarding-recent-shark-attack-or-might-this-be-true/73546/3 "2001-07-23T18:03:39Z")
But… but… they posted in ALL CAPS! That’s gotta count for something! They also used vague references in every single statement they made, in spite of there being a dozen sources with exact names, places, and dates for the entire episode!
Then again, they didn’t follow their all-caps statement with fourteen exclamation points, so that throws a big grey blanket of uncertainty over it. I mean, if they weren’t sure enough to use exclamation points, then nothing is certain.
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### Author:  [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2001, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-new-urban-legend-regarding-recent-shark-attack-or-might-this-be-true/73546/4 "2001-07-23T18:48:56Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Hokienautic \*
> \*\*
>
> The press has suppressed the real truth, because they are afraid that it will effect the contributions for Jessie and the uncle is so filled with guilt \*\*
Yea, as if that would dissuade the press.
> [@](#):
>
> **NO MAN is going to wrestle a shark that large to shore in two feet of water**
If it had a child in it’s mouth? Who wrote this crap?
> [@](#):
>
> \*\*…powerful animal, and they had cut the cable, and hide the rods by the time the Medic’s got there. \*\*
Bad grammar. Common sign of a crap email.
\*\*
[/quote]
The ranger that shot the shark testified that the shark still had the hook in his mouth and “put up a big fight because his mouth was all bloody and torn up”\*\*
[/quote]
Source? Rangers name even?
> [@](#):
>
> \*\*… (that is why the shark had blood all over it’s mouth in the TV photo’s, it was it’s own blood !!) \*\*
How could anybody distinguish between the shark’s “own blood” and the tremendous amount of blood that boy spilled into the sharks mouth when his arm was severed?
> [@](#):
>
> \*\*the uncle will have to accept that it was a tragic accident and a mistake. \*\*
I’m sure he has accepted that…I say again, who wrote this crap?
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### Author:  [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2001, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-new-urban-legend-regarding-recent-shark-attack-or-might-this-be-true/73546/5 "2001-07-23T19:09:34Z")
For Pete’s sake!
“The unidentified stranger that helped him also helped him fight the fish to shore …” What???
Who do they think he was – the Pretender?
Crikey! The identity of that “stranger” is known. He is the son of one of the agents at my wife’s real estate office (no joke) - not some frickin’ spectre.
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### Author:  [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2001, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-new-urban-legend-regarding-recent-shark-attack-or-might-this-be-true/73546/6 "2001-07-23T21:07:22Z")
Well, it would be nice if there were some links to the original incident. As far as _I_ know, there wasn’t even a shark attack, much less a shark fishing gone bad or miraculous rescue or whatever.
Admittedly it _sounds_ plausible. Unfortunately, sounding plausible is hardly a secure basis for accuracy. It definitely has hallmarks of a UL - most notably the lack of any specific details (names of people involved, for instance). I would be willing to accept the media not revealing details if they thought they were irrelevant, but frankly nothing said constitutes proof that is occurring.
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### Author:  [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2001, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-new-urban-legend-regarding-recent-shark-attack-or-might-this-be-true/73546/7 "2001-07-23T22:36:31Z")
[shark attack was real](http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/sharkattack010707.html)
[and more](http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/07/09/shark.tomasevic.cnna/index.html)
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### Author:  [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2001, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-new-urban-legend-regarding-recent-shark-attack-or-might-this-be-true/73546/8 "2001-07-23T22:49:38Z")
A shark ripped a kids arm off…who’s the Hero???
I posted this in Great Debates around the time the story broke, there should be plenty of info in this thread to debunk this ‘UL’ idea. I doubt its true, and if it is well, America, and the world, has been lied to and it would be a terrible thing if the uncle was found to have been fishing when it happened.
The only thing that I don’t see in this whole fishing story… I was born and raised on the ocean and your telling me this guy WITH A ROD AND REEL!!! pulled a 250 pound shark into shallow water, while he was STANDING in two feet of water!!! Give me a break, most guys have a problem pulling in a 200 pound shark off a boat while strapped into the chair. Highly unlikely.
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### Author:  [@CaelNCSU](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaelNCSU)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2001, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-new-urban-legend-regarding-recent-shark-attack-or-might-this-be-true/73546/9 "2001-07-23T23:08:49Z")
I was down there a day after this occurred. What actually happened in regards to wrestling it ashore is actually a bit of a stretch. Bull sharks are known to chase prey on shore. Jessie was of course bleeding heavily and he followed the trail. It was out of water when it was grabbed when the ranger shot it.
I had heard the reason the shark was that close in was because it was caught ealier that week but NOT by the uncle…
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### Author:  [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2001, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-new-urban-legend-regarding-recent-shark-attack-or-might-this-be-true/73546/10 "2001-07-24T22:40:51Z")
Phlosphr, your link didn’t work. Try
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=77718](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=77718)
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### Author:  [@Golden\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Golden_Child)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2001, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-new-urban-legend-regarding-recent-shark-attack-or-might-this-be-true/73546/11 "2001-07-25T04:46:08Z")
last i knew it was all over these two sites
> **[CNN - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos](https://www.cnn.com)**
>
> View the latest news and breaking news today for U.S., world, weather, entertainment, politics and health at CNN.com.
and [http://www.msn.com](http://www.msn.com)
I don’t know how to make them hyperlinks yet so if someone can they can tell me
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### Author:  [@Golden\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Golden_Child)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2001, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-new-urban-legend-regarding-recent-shark-attack-or-might-this-be-true/73546/12 "2001-07-25T04:47:52Z")
nevermind. apparently it does it by itself
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### Author:  [@ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2001, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-new-urban-legend-regarding-recent-shark-attack-or-might-this-be-true/73546/13 "2001-07-25T12:29:43Z")
[http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/shark.htm](http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/shark.htm)
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### Author:  [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2001, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-new-urban-legend-regarding-recent-shark-attack-or-might-this-be-true/73546/14 "2001-07-25T14:25:46Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Golden Child \*
> \*\*nevermind. apparently it does it by itself \*\*
As long as you have blank space before and after the url it’ll automatically be parsed into a url. See the little button under the composition window that says: “Automatically parse URLs: automatically adds and around internet addresses.”
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### Author:  [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2001, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-new-urban-legend-regarding-recent-shark-attack-or-might-this-be-true/73546/15 "2001-07-25T14:34:08Z")
Dur, and Little Miss Smarty Pants should have changed the brackets on the url tags:
“Automatically parse URLs: automatically adds {url} and {/url} around internet addresses.”
Change the {'s to ['s if you want to use the URL tags.
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### Author:  [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2001, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-new-urban-legend-regarding-recent-shark-attack-or-might-this-be-true/73546/16 "2001-07-26T21:19:34Z")
[latest](http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/shark010726.html) - the authorities have seen the email, preliminary reports states, it’s bunk.
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### Author:  [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2001, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-new-urban-legend-regarding-recent-shark-attack-or-might-this-be-true/73546/17 "2001-07-26T22:11:29Z")
What sort of ass starts a rumor like this anyway?
Looking at the email in the OP, let me try to answer my own question. Note the following:
> [@](#):
>
> I am tired of Pensacola Beach taking it in the shorts because of the “whole truth not being told”
Sound like some mealy-mouthed Pensacola Beach merchant worried that the tourists are going to shun the area. Reminds me of the Chamber of Commerce types in the movie Jaws. “You can’t close the beaches!”
Personally, I hope the uncle tracks down whomever started this rumor and sues the hell out of them for defamation.