S6 Ep01: July 1916: A Creek, A Shark and A Hero

It was a hot July day in 1916 and eleven year old Lester Stillwell, along with a group of other boys, decided to go down to the Matawan Creek to swim, splash around and cool off. 

Some people in the small NJ shore town of Matawan had already heard of two recent, fatal shark attacks on ocean bathers in Beach Haven & Spring Lake. But, no one worried about a shark in the Matawan Creek, as it was one and a half miles inland from the Raritan Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. 

However, much to the horror of his friends, young Lester was attacked by a shark in the creek. The boys immediately ran into town to get help. Help came in the form of Stanley Fisher, a twenty four year old athletic and popular, local businessman who was always looking out for others. Stanley Fisher and two other men raced to the creek in an effort to save Lester. When he realized that Lester could no longer be alive, Stanley dove repeatedly into the murky water to retrieve Lester’s body for his family. Just as he found Lester’s body and was bringing it to the surface, he too was brutally attacked by the shark. 

Tragically, Lester & Stanley became the third and fourth victims of fatal shark attacks at the Jersey shore in less than two weeks. Not far from where Lester and Stanley were attacked, a young boy named Joseph Dunn had his leg severely bitten by the shark, however, he would survive his injuries.

In this episode of Your History Your Story, we will be speaking with Al Savolaine, Matawan town historian and author of “Stanley Fisher: Shark Attack Hero of a Bygone Age”. Al will tell the story of Stanley Fisher and how he and other brave men faced a killer shark in a small NJ community in the summer of 1916. 

In addition to Al Savolaine, we will be speaking with Justin Pratt, the founder of the Facebook page “1916 New Jersey Shark Attacks”. Justin, who lives in Tennessee, is one of many enthusiasts from around the world, who have taken a keen interest in these events. Justin, like many others, can trace his enthusiasm back to the 1975 blockbuster movie “Jaws”, in which the New Jersey shark attacks were mentioned. 

We hope you enjoy this thrilling tale from a bygone age…

Photo(s): Courtesy of Al Savolaine, Justin Pratt

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man 

FB page run by Justin Pratt is "1916 New Jersey Shark Attacks"

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