August 01, 2002body washes up on beach [newspost][atlantic city, nj | newpost]
The body of a teenaged woman washed up onto the beach near Atlantic City Boardwalk early this morning. So far, authorities believe the woman [who's name was not released by the family] was victim of a shark attack because of the damage to the body. While not common in these waters, there has been a history of shark attacks around New Jersey. Most notable is the July 1916 attack in Matawan Creek that left a 12 year old boy and man dead, and another injured by a supposed Bull Shark - which is covered in the book Close to Shore by Michael Capuzzo. There have been other attacks off the coasts blamed on several different species.
The family states that the young woman was on a date with a young man when last seen on Sunday, and, tragically, it seems they chose to have a late night swim. The young woman's car was found abandoned in a nearby parking lot, unmolested, so no foul play is suspected but it is not ruled out.
Any evidence of the young man - attacked or still alive - has yet to be found. No other bodies (or parts) have appeared. The woman's body was badly damaged, and seems to have been in the water for several days. A specific cause of death has yet to be officially determined and released from authorities. It is also possible the young woman was caught in a riptide, drowned, and the marine feeding damage caused post mortem.
As of 10am this morning, authorities have left the area, and business continues as usual on and around the Boardwalk.
Posted by asher at August 01, 2002 12:00 AM
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