Fatal Attack on Wader During Salvage Operation in Gulf of Mexico

On July 6, 1915, J.W. McDonald, a member of a salvage expedition working to recover portions of the wrecked vessel Emily P. Wright, was fatally attacked by a great hammerhead shark in the Gulf of Mexico. The incident occurred off Santa Maria Bar, approximately 100 miles south of Point Isabel, Texas. McDonald was wading through the shallow waters while assisting crew members in towing a small boat to shore when a large wave knocked him off balance. Moments after the wave struck, a large hammerhead shark attacked him with extreme force, severing his body at the waist. The lower portion of his body was carried away by the shark. Several days later, the remains were recovered on a beach approximately 10 miles south of the attack site. The incident was reported by E.E. Thomas, superintendent of the salvage operation, upon his return to Point Isabel. Contemporary accounts indicate that hammerhead sharks were common in Gulf waters during this period, and multiple fatal encounters involving both salvage workers and local inhabitants were documented in the region, particularly around Tampico and the Panuco River area. The waters surrounding the wreck site were known to harbor numerous large predatory sharks.