The odds of getting attacked by a shark is about 1 in 3.75 million, according to National Geographic, and a Long Island lifeguard became that 1.
Smith Point Beach Lifeguard of 10 years, Zachari Gallo, fought off a shark during a training exercise on Sunday.
“He was playing the role of a victim, and in the midst of that, actually became a victim when this shark bite occurred,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone at a press conference.
Gallo, 33, was attacked by a 4-to-5-foot-long shark that bit him in the chest and right hand. “I felt sharp, sharp pain and I knew it was some kind of … once I felt the rubbery texture, I knew it was some kind of shark,” Gallo told WCBS-TV.
The undaunted lifeguard defended his life by punching down the shark. “I hit the shark three times. I went boom, boom, boom,” Gallo said. “I guess in the third one it spun back and its tail hit me in the chest.”
As other lifeguards swam to rescue Gallo, he safely got out of the water on his own and was taken to Southside Hospital.
Shark sightings are rare on Long Island, but more sharks have migrated north in the last two years due to warmer ocean temperatures.
But people shouldn’t fear shark attacks, “the danger to people is infinitesimal,” Hans Walters, a scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium, told the New York Times.
“If anyone’s been in the ocean, they’ve already swum with sharks,” Walters said. “They just don’t know it.”
Sightings are increasing due to heightened surveillance and a surge in image sharing ‘Humans are Friends, not Food’ Shedding Light on Local Sharks Amid Smith Point Sighting through social media, which inevitably goes viral and makes for shocking and alerting headlines, according to Walters.
American Marine Biologist and Oceanographer Sylvia Earle shared a tweet in July of 2021 sharing her love for these apex predators: “Sharks are beautiful animals, and if you’re lucky enough to see lots of them, that means that you’re in a healthy ocean. You should be afraid if you are in the ocean and don’t see sharks!”
Sharks are one of the top predators in marine ecosystems, affecting all food web levels. They play an essential role in the carbon cycle as they are notorious for supporting healthy seagrass meadows by preventing overgrazing. Without sharks, many fish and other species would lose their natural habitat. While Hollywood instills the fear of sharks with movies like Jaws and The Meg, it’s important to remember that these are just movies.
Ironically, a shark is more likely to die at the hands of a human. 100 million sharks are killed by humans every year. Meanwhile, there are less than 100 shark attacks and just under 10 human deaths each year. Finning alone kills just over 70 million sharks every year, and the rest of their bodies are wasted and thrown overboard.
In 2010, the Shark Conservation Act was implemented, requiring all sharks in the United States, except for Smooth Dogfish Sharks, to be brought to shore with their fins naturally attached.
Despite this, shark patrolling on Long Island is at an all-time high. “It’s become part of our daily routine,” said Justine Anderson, a lifeguard supervisor from the Town of Hempstead. “We’ll patrol throughout the day and respond immediately if we get a report of a shark sighting.”
The Messenger Papers wants to remind our readers that sharks aren’t hunting for you. If you encounter a shark, don’t panic or play dead. Instead, slowly swim away. If the encounter turns aggressive, punch it in the snout or poke its eyes– it’ll be a great story.
