Fatal Incident
Fatal Great White Shark Attack on Swimmer in Aegean Sea
A 42-year-old Austrian woman was fatally attacked by a 3-meter great white shark while swimming in shallow water near Trikerion Island, Greece, on June 1, 1963. The incident occurred in the Pagasitikos Gulf, just meters from shore, in full view of a nearby witness.
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Incident Profile
Circumstances
Environmental
Individual
Location
Description
On the afternoon of June 1, 1963, a tragic incident unfolded in the Pagasitikos Gulf near Volos, Thessaly, Greece. Helga Pogl, a 42-year-old Austrian writer and professor of philosophy, entered the water for a swim near Trikerion Island, approximately three miles off Pithos. The water was unusually shallow at the site, measuring only 80 centimeters deep. Pogl was swimming at a distance of approximately 15 meters from shore when she ventured closer to land. When she was just three meters from the shoreline, a great white shark, estimated to measure three meters in length, attacked her without warning. The assault occurred in the early afternoon, a few minutes after 4:30 p.m. The attack was witnessed by Pogl's companion, Mrs. Wilken, who observed the water turn red with blood as the shark struck. According to newspaper reports, the shark subsequently dragged its victim into deeper waters. Despite search efforts, no trace of Pogl's body was ever recovered. This incident represents a rare but documented case of a fatal great white shark encounter in the Mediterranean Sea, occurring during daylight hours in relatively shallow water in a populated region of Greece.