Shark Kills Boston Man In Mattapoisett Waters 81 Years Ago

The date was July 25th, 1936... the last recorded shark fatality in Massachusetts.

According to Boston.com, a 16 year old Dorchester man by the name of Joseph Troy Jr was spending some time during his summer vacation down in "Hollywood Beach" a.k.a. Hiller Cove in Mattapoisett. The article says that Troy was about 150 yards offshore in deep water when his leg was bitten by a Great White and dragged under.

Long story short, Troy escaped from drowning and/or being eaten alive, but a chunk of his leg was missing and he lost a significant ammount of blood. Troy died that night at St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford around 8:30 PM as a result of his wounds.

In memory of the events that happened 81 years ago and the fact that it's 'Shark Week', the Mattapoisett Fire & Rescue Department shared a piece of the town's history: