On the 28th of June, 1975, just off the coast of Amity Island, a young woman was killed in an
unusually vicious shark attack. At the time it was thought to be an isolated incident,
but later events would reveal that it was the first in a string of deadly attacks by a single
great white shark - one which uncharacteristically seemed to have developed a taste for human flesh.
The story of its reign of terror and the bizarre way in which it was ultimately
resolved has since become an almost mythical part of Amity Island's history.
Amity Island, situated off the coast of New England, is a popular destination for tourists.
It's known for its extensive beaches, clean air, and crystal clear water.
Each summer thousands flock to the pocket-sized town of Amity Bay
to enjoy ample opportunities for surfing, sailing, swimming, and other recreation on the water.
The first shark attack to take place was unwitnessed. Visiting tourist Chrissie
Watkins was swimming at night off the south shore of the island. Although accompanied
by her boyfriend to the beach she swam alone, as he was too intoxicated to enter the water.
He fell asleep on the beach while waiting for her to return, but Watkins was never seen alive again.
Her remains were found the next day, and her death quickly determined to have
been caused by a shark attack. However, this fact was not immediately published.
Subsequent investigations revealed that this was due to the actions of the town mayor,
who pressured investigators to falsify Chrissie's death certificate,
switching out the cause of death so that it would appear she was killed in a boating accident.
The reason for this deception was all too simple: money. The peak of summer was approaching
and Amity Bay was thronged with tourists. The local economy depended on the beaches being open,
and news of a deadly shark attack would undoubtedly keep people away from the shore.
Because of this, bathers on the beaches of Amity Bay were unaware of any danger
,and headed out into the water in droves. In the middle of the day,
in waters crowded with swimmers, the shark struck again. This time its victim was a local boy
named Alex Kintner, who was dragged under the water and died in the vicious creature's JAWS.
This attack, taking place as it did in full view of a crowded beach, caused a massive sensation
in Amity Bay. At a town hall meeting the next day furious residents demanded that action be taken.
The mayor, still preoccupied with summer revenues, agreed to close the beaches... but only for one
day. Shark attacks, he insisted, were rare occurrences, and there was no need for panic.
By this stage, news of a man-eating shark in the waters off Amity Bay had spread,
fuelled by a $3,000 bounty posted by Kintner's grieving family. Shark hunters arrived in force
in the town, and started combing the waters around the island for the beast.
It wasn't long before they claimed to have found their prize.
A modestly-sized tiger shark was hauled from the water and killed, the body displayed prominently
on the waterfront as a signal to tourists and locals that the water was safe once again.
While there were some voices of dissent (the town's police chief in particular
insisted that the captured shark was far too small to be the one responsible for the attacks)
the vast majority of the town were satisfied, and swimmers again returned to the water.
As far as the mayor of Amity Bay was concerned the saga had wrapped up just in time.
The 4th of July - Independence Day - was one of the biggest in the town's calendar.
It was with some relief that he saw the beaches packed with tourists. This relief
turned to horror, however, when another shark attack took place in the middle of the day,
again within sight of a crowded beach. This time a local boating instructor was dragged to his death.
At this stage events took a surreal turn. The town's police chief, Martin Brody,
came to an agreement with an eccentric local fisherman who claimed to have special knowledge
of man-eating sharks. Along with a visiting oceanographer they set out for open water,
vowing to hunt down the creature which had been stalking the waters of Amity Bay.
At the time many residents considered Brody's quest to be a bizarre flight of fancy,
and dismissed the expedition out of hand. However, just three days later
Brody and the oceanographer would return to the island on board a makeshift raft,
wounded and exhausted, with a barely credible tale to tell. The shark, they insisted, was dead.
Although it had claimed the life of the fishermen and destroyed their boat,
Brody had ultimately slain the beast by lodging a tank of compressed air in its mouth and detonating
it with a shot from a high-powered rifle. Needless to say this sensational account of events struck
authorities as incredibly unlikely. For a shark to target a boat was unheard of, and the method by
which Brody claimed to have killed the monster was so ghoulishly spectacular that it seemed
more like SOMETHING FROM A HOLLYWOOD MOVIE than anything that could have happened in real life.
However, extensive questioning and the examination of physical evidence gathered from the remains of
the boat appeared to support this story. And, certainly the spree of shark attacks did come
to an abrupt halt. Tourists were able to return to the water and swim in safety, and the memories of
the gruesome killings which marred the summer of 1975 were soon replaced with happier ones.
Amity Bay remains a popular tourist destination to this day.
Although not the only incident involving shark activity off the coast of Amity Island,
the shark attacks which took place there in 1975 nonetheless remain an infamous part of
the island's history... one which many visitors remain completely unaware of.