Man Bitten By Shark After Catching It From Nantucket Beach

A man was bitten by a shark after catching and releasing it on the beach near Hoicks Hollow Sunday night. He was later transported by a Boston Medflight helicopter to a mainland hospital to be treated for his injuries.

The 21-year-old man was bitten on the leg, sources told the Current, and suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Massachusetts shark biologist John Chisholm, of the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, identified the shark that bit the man as a sandbar shark, a common species in the waters around Nantucket.

First responders were not called to the scene, as the man was driven to the hospital by a friend. The entire incident was witnessed by numerous beachgoers and people at the nearby Sankaty Head Beach Club. 

The man was one of two people requiring Medflight transport from Nantucket Cottage Hospital (NCH) at the same time Sunday night, forcing one of the helicopters to land in the parking lot of the hospital. It is believed to be the first time that has happened at the new hospital, and the first time at the hospital campus on Prospect Street since May 2014.

Shark fishing has grown in popularity on Nantucket in recent years, and 'Sconset is among the areas where some anglers target sandbar sharks from the beach with regularity during the summer months.

Earlier this year, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) adopted several new rules for shore-based shark fishing in Massachusetts that are now in effect. The regulations, passed by the DMF in March, limit the use of certain heavy gear for shore-based shark fishing around Cape Cod Bay and the Outer Cape, prohibit chumming the shoreline during daytime hours when fishing with heavy gear, and restrict the use of mechanized devices when setting bait from shore.

The regulations regarding heavy gear do not apply to Nantucket, but the new rules regarding chumming and mechanized bait deployment are in effect on the island. Fishing for sandbar sharks is allowed under the current regulations.

"Shore-based shark fishing is growing in popularity along the coast and Massachusetts has become a desirable location to conduct this fishing," wrote Jared Silva, a fisheries management analyst with the DMF. "While DMF regulations already prohibit attracting and targeting great white sharks, it has become evident in recent years that these rules are difficult to enforce and in need of clarification to ameliorate user-group conflicts. Last year, there were several instances when anglers likely fishing for white sharks from shore caused public safety risks for other beachgoers. In response, DMF has taken action to prevent the further expansion of this fishing activity and improve enforceability of existing regulations."