(FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - Officials have determined that the injuries sustained by Chris Myers off Ballston Beach in Truro on July 30 can be attributed to a great white shark.
According to the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, the conclusion was reached after examination of the injuries and testimony from Myers.
The 50-year-old was bitten while he and his teenage son were swimming toward a sandbar in the Atlantic Ocean about 400 yards off Ballston Beach. The animal put four puncture wounds on each of Myers' lower legs.
The injuries required surgery to repair torn tendons, and Myers wore a cast on one leg and bandages on another upon his release from Massachusetts General Hospital.
Shark expert Greg Skomal of the state Division of Marine Fisheries, who spoke with Myers and examined his injuries, last week said the shark was likely a great white. He said the number of great white sightings off the Massachusetts coast has increased in the last few years, likely because of a growing number of seals, which sharks eat.
Researchers have been monitoring and tagging these sharks since 2009.
State officials stress that beachgoers should use common sense, and be aware of their surroundings when swimming in the ocean.
