Facing shark, N.J. cop puts up his dukes
Associated Press
08/17/2004/Del.Online
ATLANTIC CITY -- A state trooper said Monday that he threw a punch at a shark that was swimming toward him over the weekend.
Sgt. Paul Mallick, 41, was surfing off the Atlantic City beach Saturday when he saw a dorsal fin coming at him from about 75 feet away.
"The thing is not changing direction - it's making a beeline right toward me," Mallick said. "I thought, if this thing's going to try to take a chunk out of me, I'm going to hit it first."
Mallick said as the 5-foot brown shark got near him, he punched it in the gut, and the shark then retreated.
Mallick said he thinks the shark was probably attracted to the area because of the warm waters brought in by then-Tropical Storm Charley.
Associated Press
08/17/2004/Del.Online
ATLANTIC CITY -- A state trooper said Monday that he threw a punch at a shark that was swimming toward him over the weekend.
Sgt. Paul Mallick, 41, was surfing off the Atlantic City beach Saturday when he saw a dorsal fin coming at him from about 75 feet away.
"The thing is not changing direction - it's making a beeline right toward me," Mallick said. "I thought, if this thing's going to try to take a chunk out of me, I'm going to hit it first."
Mallick said as the 5-foot brown shark got near him, he punched it in the gut, and the shark then retreated.
Mallick said he thinks the shark was probably attracted to the area because of the warm waters brought in by then-Tropical Storm Charley.